How Algerians Access Cryptocurrency Exchanges Under Current Law

As of July 2025, Algerians cannot legally access cryptocurrency exchanges-not because of technical barriers, but because the government made it a crime. Law No. 25-10, published on July 24, 2025, outlawed every single activity related to digital assets: buying, selling, holding, mining, promoting, or even discussing crypto as an investment. This isn’t a gray area. It’s a total ban. And it’s being enforced with real jail time and heavy fines.

What the Law Actually Bans

Algeria’s new law doesn’t just block access to Binance or Coinbase. It criminalizes the very idea of owning Bitcoin or Ethereum. The law defines cryptocurrencies as ‘virtual instruments used as means of exchange via a computer system, without support from a central bank.’ That’s it. No exceptions. No loopholes. Not even holding crypto in a wallet is allowed. The government doesn’t care if you bought it before the ban. If you still have it, you’re breaking the law.

The penalties are severe. First-time offenders face between two months and one year in prison. Fines range from 200,000 to 1,000,000 Algerian dinars-roughly $1,500 to $7,700. For repeat offenses or cases tied to organized crime, fines can jump to 2 million dinars ($14,700). And yes, you can get both jail and a fine at the same time.

Even helping someone else trade crypto is illegal. Running a local peer-to-peer group? Illegal. Creating a YouTube video explaining how Bitcoin works? Illegal. Offering to store someone’s crypto in a digital wallet? Also illegal. The law casts a wide net, targeting not just users but anyone who enables access.

How Algeria Got Here

Just a year before the ban, Algeria was one of the fastest-growing crypto markets in North Africa. Chainalysis ranked it in the top five in the MENA region for peer-to-peer trading volume. People were using crypto to send money across borders, invest in DeFi protocols, or protect savings from inflation. The government didn’t act on it-until it did.

The shift came with a sudden, sweeping crackdown. Officials cited financial stability, money laundering risks, and guidance from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as reasons. But the timing is telling. Algeria’s central bank has long controlled the flow of foreign currency. Crypto threatened that control. With over 30% of Algerians under 25 and rising unemployment, digital finance offered an escape route. The state chose to shut it down instead.

What People Are Doing Now

Despite the ban, demand hasn’t disappeared. It’s gone underground.

Some Algerians use VPNs to access foreign exchanges like Binance or Kraken. They create accounts with fake IDs, fund them through unofficial channels, and trade in secret. Others rely on encrypted messaging apps like Telegram or Signal to find peer-to-peer traders. A buyer might pay in cash through a middleman, then receive crypto via a non-custodial wallet. It’s risky, slow, and messy-but it works.

Decentralized exchanges (DEXs) like Uniswap or PancakeSwap are also being used. Since they don’t require KYC, they’re harder to track. But even here, the risk is real. Algerian authorities have upgraded their digital surveillance tools. They monitor IP addresses, detect unusual data flows, and collaborate with international agencies to trace crypto transactions linked to Algerian accounts.

There’s no safe way to do this. Every step carries legal risk. A single transaction could lead to a raid, an arrest, or a frozen bank account. And because the law criminalizes *any* exposure to crypto-even educational content-many people who once taught others how to use it now stay silent.

The Brain Drain

Before the ban, Algeria had a growing community of blockchain developers, smart contract engineers, and crypto analysts. Universities offered courses on decentralized systems. Startups were building local fintech tools. Now, that talent is fleeing.

Many developers have moved to Morocco, Tunisia, or the UAE, where crypto is legal or at least tolerated. Others have switched careers entirely. The country is losing its next generation of tech innovators-not because they lack skill, but because the law made their work a crime.

There’s no official data on how many left, but local tech forums are full of posts like: ‘I’m leaving. No future here.’ The government didn’t just ban crypto. It banned the future of digital innovation in Algeria.

How This Compares to the Rest of the World

Algeria is one of only nine countries in the world with a complete crypto ban. Others include Egypt, Nigeria (temporarily), and China. Most other nations-even those wary of crypto-are moving toward regulation, not prohibition.

The European Union has MiCA, a comprehensive framework that licenses exchanges and protects users. The U.S. has multiple agencies overseeing crypto, with clear rules for taxation and reporting. Even countries like India and Brazil, which once cracked down, now allow regulated trading.

Algeria’s approach is the opposite. Instead of creating guardrails, it built a wall. The result? Algerians are cut off from global finance. They can’t use crypto to send remittances, invest in global startups, or access DeFi yields. They’re stuck with a weak local currency and limited financial tools.

What This Means for the Future

There’s no sign the ban will be lifted. The government has doubled down on surveillance. Banks are required to report any suspicious activity linked to digital assets. Schools and universities have been ordered to remove crypto-related content from curriculums.

But the world keeps moving. Cryptocurrencies are becoming part of everyday finance-from payroll systems to cross-border payments. By banning them outright, Algeria is choosing isolation over innovation. The short-term goal may be control. The long-term cost? A generation left behind in the digital economy.

For now, the only way Algerians access crypto is through risk. And that risk isn’t just financial. It’s personal. It’s legal. It’s life-changing.