Vietnam to fine crypto traders on unlicensed platforms

Vietnam will fine individuals up to $1,900 and organizations up to $7,700 for trading crypto on unlicensed platforms, starting September 1, 2026, under new regulations to enforce compliance in its crypto market.

Vietnam has introduced Decree No. 284/2026/NĐ-CP, which imposes administrative penalties on those trading cryptocurrencies via unlicensed platforms, effective September 1, 2026. Individual investors may face fines of up to 50 million Vietnamese dong (approximately $1,900), while organizations and service providers could be fined up to 200 million dong (around $7,700) for unauthorized offerings, anti-money laundering violations, or operating without proper licenses. The decree grants authorities the power to suspend crypto-related activities, revoke licenses, and confiscate assets. These measures are designed to bring greater oversight to Vietnam’s active crypto market, which ranked fourth globally in Chainalysis’s 2025 Crypto Adoption Index and recorded over $220 billion in transactions between July 2024 and June 2025. Vietnam’s new regulations aim to encourage domestic traders to use licensed platforms and strengthen compliance as the country moves toward a fully regulated crypto environment.