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Legal Penalties for Crypto Trading in Algeria: Fines, Jail Time, and What's Banned

Legal Penalties for Crypto Trading in Algeria: Fines, Jail Time, and What's Banned

Michael James 15 November 2025 22 Comments

Algeria Crypto Penalty Calculator

Calculate Your Potential Penalties

Based on Algeria's Law No. 25-10 (July 2023), crypto activities are now criminal offenses with strict penalties.

Important: This calculator estimates potential penalties based on published law, but actual enforcement may vary. Ignorance is not a defense in Algeria.

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Important Note: These are estimates based on published law. Actual penalties may vary based on case details, judicial discretion, and enforcement practices.

Algeria has made crypto trading a criminal offense

In July 2023, Algeria passed Law No. 25-10, turning every form of cryptocurrency activity into a crime. It doesn’t matter if you bought Bitcoin on a foreign exchange, held Ethereum in a wallet, mined crypto on your home computer, or even shared a YouTube video explaining how blockchain works. Under this law, you’re breaking the rules-and the penalties are real.

What exactly is banned?

The law doesn’t just target exchanges or traders. It bans everything related to digital assets. That includes:

Buying or selling Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any altcoin
Holding crypto in any wallet-whether it’s on your phone, laptop, or hardware device
Mining cryptocurrency using your PC or GPU rig
Operating or using a crypto exchange, wallet service, or payment gateway
Promoting crypto through social media, blogs, podcasts, or YouTube videos
Teaching or explaining blockchain technology in public forums
Working as a developer on open-source blockchain projects accessible from Algeria

The government defines cryptocurrencies as “virtual instruments used as means of exchange via a computer system, without support from a central bank.” That’s broad enough to cover any digital token, stablecoin, or decentralized finance tool. Even if you never traded, just owning a crypto wallet is now illegal.

What are the penalties?

If you’re caught, you’re looking at serious consequences. The law spells out clear punishments:

Prison time: Between two months and one year
Fines: 200,000 to 1,000,000 Algerian dinars (about $1,540 to $7,700 USD)
Repeat offenses: Fines can double, reaching up to 2 million dinars ($14,700 USD)
Aggravated cases: If authorities link your activity to money laundering, terrorism financing, or large-scale operations, penalties increase significantly

Courts can impose both jail and fines at the same time. While the maximum prison term is only one year, enforcement agencies are more likely to focus on financial penalties. Why? Because collecting fines is faster and easier than locking people up. This means thousands could face heavy fines without ever stepping into a courtroom.

Three tech developers packing up to leave Algeria, a police van passing outside as petals drift in the wind.

Who’s being targeted?

This isn’t just about big traders. The law casts a wide net:

Students who learned about crypto in university classes now risk prosecution if they discuss it online
Content creators who posted crypto tutorials on TikTok or Instagram are at risk
Developers working on decentralized apps-even if they’re open-source and global-could be seen as promoting illegal tech
Small business owners who accepted crypto payments, even once, are now criminals
Parents who bought Bitcoin as a gift for their child’s birthday

There’s no “intent” requirement. You don’t have to know the law to break it. Ignorance isn’t a defense. If you held crypto after July 24, 2023, you’re already in violation.

How is the government enforcing this?

Algeria isn’t relying on luck to catch violators. The National Agency for the Fight Against Money Laundering and the Financing of Terrorism (ANLCCFT) created a special unit to track crypto activity. They’re using blockchain analysis tools-similar to those used by the U.S. IRS-to trace transactions across public ledgers.

They’re also monitoring:

Bank transfers to foreign crypto exchanges
Use of peer-to-peer trading apps like LocalBitcoins or Paxful
IP addresses accessing crypto-related websites
Social media posts promoting crypto
Advertisements for crypto services hosted on Algerian domains

Even if you used a VPN, authorities can still identify you through your bank records, phone number, or device identifiers. The system is designed to catch anyone who interacts with crypto-even indirectly.

What happened to Algeria’s crypto community?

Before the ban, Algeria was one of the fastest-growing crypto markets in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2022, Chainalysis ranked it in the top five for peer-to-peer trading volume. Thousands of Algerians used crypto to protect savings from inflation, send remittances, or invest outside the local economy.

Since Law No. 25-10 took effect, the scene has collapsed:

Reddit’s r/CryptoAlgeria subreddit shut down after users feared prosecution
Local P2P trading groups disbanded overnight
At least five blockchain startups moved operations to Tunisia and Morocco
University students in Algiers and Oran are leaving the country to pursue tech careers elsewhere

Estimates suggest $200 million in annual crypto trading vanished in just months. The government claims this stops capital flight-but the real cost is brain drain. Experts predict 30-40% of Algeria’s blockchain talent will leave within 18 months.

A woman on a rooftop watching her crypto wallet dissolve into light as a forbidden message fades in the sky.

How does Algeria compare to other countries?

Most countries are moving toward regulating crypto, not banning it. The UAE has a full licensing system. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain have clear rules for exchanges. Even Egypt allows regulated trading.

Algeria is now one of only eight countries worldwide with a complete ban-joining China and Egypt in the most restrictive group. But unlike China, which banned mining but allowed private ownership for years, Algeria’s law is immediate and total.

It’s also unique in how far it reaches. No other country criminalizes educational content or technical development around blockchain. Algeria doesn’t just want to stop trading-it wants to erase the entire concept from public awareness.

What about the future?

The law was justified as a way to protect financial stability and fight terrorism financing. But critics say it’s a distraction. Algeria’s real problem isn’t crypto-it’s a weak economy, high inflation, and a lack of trust in the national currency.

Instead of fixing those issues, the government chose to punish people for trying to solve them on their own. The ban has damaged Algeria’s tech reputation, scared off foreign investors, and pushed innovation underground.

There’s no sign the government plans to reverse course. In fact, they’re expanding digital surveillance tools to catch more violations. For now, if you’re in Algeria, the safest move is to avoid crypto entirely-even talking about it could put you at risk.

What if you already owned crypto?

If you held Bitcoin, Ethereum, or any other digital asset before July 24, 2023, you’re not automatically guilty. But if you still hold it now-or used it after that date-you’re violating the law. The government hasn’t announced a grace period or amnesty. There’s no official way to legally surrender your holdings. The only safe action is to transfer your crypto out of any wallet you control, then delete all related apps, files, and records.

Don’t wait for an enforcement notice. The system is already active. If you’re unsure whether you’re at risk, assume you are-and take steps to reduce exposure.