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Is crypto legal in Lithuania?

Cryptocurrency is legal in Lithuania, but subject to regulatory restrictions.

Northern Europe · LT · 5 of 9 dimensions sourced

Every value below cites the primary government, central bank, financial regulator, or tax authority. How this is sourced →

Lithuania crypto policy at a glance

CBDC status
Pilot

Stage of the central bank digital currency programme — research, pilot, or launched.

cbdctracker.org ↗ · as of 2024 · confidence: high
Legal status
Legal, with restrictions

Whether crypto is legal, restricted, or banned for individuals and businesses.

“Virtual currencies are not legal tender in Lithuania. Financial market participants are not allowed to receive payments in virtual currencies, or to exchange or sell them, or provide other financial services associated with virtual currencies. Activities of virtual currency exchange operators and depository virtual currency wallet operators are subject to requirements related to the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing.”
Bank of Lithuania ↗ · as of 2020-01-01 · confidence: high
VASP licensing
Regime in force

Whether the jurisdiction licenses crypto/VASP service providers.

“Virtual asset service providers must obtain a licence from the Bank of Lithuania before providing virtual asset services in Lithuania.”
Bank of Lithuania ↗ · as of 2026-05-30 · confidence: high
Stablecoin rules
Not yet recorded

Rules governing stablecoin and e-money-token issuance.

Tax treatment
Mixed (CGT + income)

How crypto gains are taxed and reported, including OECD CARF participation.

“Income of individuals received from the sale or exchange of virtual currencies is treated as taxable income from the sale of assets and is subject to personal income tax, while income received from mining or individual activities related to virtual currencies is taxed as income from individual activities.”
DeFi treatment
Addressed

How decentralized finance (DeFi) is treated by regulators.

“Decentralised finance (DeFi) services that are functionally equivalent to regulated financial services are subject to the same regulatory requirements, irrespective of the technological infrastructure employed.”
Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas) ↗ · as of 2022-02-10 · confidence: medium
NFT classification
Not yet recorded

Whether NFTs are addressed in regulation.

Mining policy
Not yet recorded

Policy toward crypto mining — permitted, restricted, or banned.

Enforcement intensity
Not yet recorded

Intensity of regulatory enforcement actions against crypto firms.

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