Belarus adds cryptocurrencies to list of approved underlying assets

Belarus’ Council of Ministers and National Bank adopted a resolution (dated May 23, 2026; effective May 27) allowing digital tokens, including Bitcoin, to serve as underlying assets for non‑deliverable OTC instruments. The rule formally integrates cryptocurrencies into the country’s traditional financial framework and is expected to expand local investment products and crypto‑bank operations. The move follows earlier steps this year to license “cryptobanks” and a mid‑May list approving 26 coins for those entities, positioning Belarus as a regional leader in crypto adoption and potentially increasing on‑shore demand and trading activity for major tokens.