Guatemala

No ruling

Virtual Asset / Cryptocurrency · Unregulated · ↻ under consideration

Comprehensive framework Proposed CASP / VASP regime Unregulated Licensing Unregulated AML / CFT In progress · 2026 Stablecoins Unregulated · Unregulated CBDC N/A Consumer protection Unregulated Travel rule No Advertising rules No Taxation Unclear

Summary

Guatemala had no crypto-specific legislation for years and the quetzal is the sole legal currency (Banguat/SIB joint warning, Dec 2017, reiterated 2021). This changed in 2026: on 2 June 2026 Congress approved Decreto 15-2026, the Ley Integral para la Prevención y Represión del Lavado de Dinero u Otros Activos y del Financiamiento del Terrorismo, which for the first time designates virtual asset service providers (PSAV) as obligated persons supervised by the SIB's Intendencia de Verificación Especial (IVE), implementing FATF Recommendation 15. The law is AML-scope only — it does not create a comprehensive market-conduct or licensing regime, and crypto remains outside legal-tender status. The earlier comprehensive Cryptocurrency bill (Iniciativa 6538, May 2025) was effectively superseded.

Timeline

Dec 2017: Banguat/SIB joint warning that crypto is not legal tender. May 2025: Iniciativa 6538 (Cryptocurrency Law) presented to Congress. 2 Jun 2026: Congress approves Decreto 15-2026 (integral AML law) designating PSAV as obligated persons under SIB/IVE supervision (FATF R.15); takes effect ~3 months after publication, with implementing regulation due within 6 months.