2025-08-29
The Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo has issued a regulation mandating licensing for legal entities providing crypto-asset exchange services, covering fiat conversions and peer-to-peer crypto swaps. The framework establishes a €125,000 minimum capital threshold, requires fit-and-proper management boards, and outlines a 60-day assessment procedure for license applications. Licensed operators must maintain continuous compliance with anti-money laundering standards, ensure transparent client disclosures, and remain subject to the Central Bank’s supervisory powers for license suspension or revocation.
1FROM18 Pursuant to Article 35, paragraph 1, subparagraph 1.1 and Article 65 of Law No. 03/L-209 on the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo (Official Gazette of the Republic of Kosovo, No. 77 / 16 August 2010), as amended and supplemented by Law No. 05/L–150 (Official Gazette of the Republic of Kosovo / No. 10 / 03 April 2017), and Article 5 paragraph 2, Article 8 paragraph 4 and Article 10 paragraph 2 of Law No. 08/L-295 on Crypto-Assets, and pursuant to Article 1 paragraph 1, subparagraph 1.1 and 1.2 of Law No. 08/L-295 on Crypto-Assets, the Board of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo, at its meeting held on 29 August 2025, approved the following: REGULATION ON LICENSING OF CRYPTO-ASSETS SERVICE OPERATORS PROVIDING CRYPTO-ASSETS EXCHANGE SERVICES CHAPTER I GENERAL PROVISIONS Article 1 Purpose
2FROM18 This Regulation applies to legal entities defined under the Law on Crypto Assets that apply for licensing, as well as persons licensed under this Regulation for the exercise of the activity of exchanging crypto-assets for fiat money (including ATMs) and vice versa and/or with other crypto-assets in the Republic of Kosovo. Article 3 Definitions
3FROM18 Article 4 Licensing of CASO
4FROM18 2.3. the operating program, defining the types of crypto-asset services that the applicant intends to provide, including where and how these services will be provided; 2.4. description of the governance structure of the applying CASO; 2.5. data on the main shareholders of CASO in the application specified in Article 5, paragraph 3, subparagraphs 3.3 and 3.4 of the Regulation on the Registration of Non-Banking Financial Institutions, as well as other information providing their good reputation; 2.6. data on the members of the management bodies of the CASO in the application specified in Article 5, paragraph 3, subparagraph 3.5 of the Regulation on the registration of Non-Banking Financial Institutions, as well as other information providing their good reputation; 2.7. description of internal control mechanisms, policies and procedures to identify, assess and manage risks, including risks from money laundering and terrorist financing, as well as a business continuity plan; 2.8. a contract with a bank for opening a bank account, through which they will carry out their cash operations; 2.9. technical documentation of information and communication technology systems, security systems and measures, as well as a description of them in non-technical language; 2.10. description of procedures for handling customer complaints; 2.11. description of the trading policy, which must be non-discriminatory, governing the relationship with customers, as well as a description of the methodology for determining the price of crypto-assets that the operator intends to exchange for fiat money or other cryptoassets; 2.12. the type of crypto-assets for which the relevant service is provided; 2.13. In any case where the applicant is a foreign financial institution applying to establish a CASO in Kosovo, a declaration from the home country supervisor is required. This declaration must confirm that the authority has no objection to the proposed establishment of the CASO in Kosovo and that the applicant is subject to consolidated supervision, if such supervision is in force. The existence of consolidated supervision does not exclude or limit the supervisory powers of the CBK of Kosovo over the CASO established in Kosovo. 2.14. proof of paid-up capital according to Article 9 of this Regulation; 2.15. proof of payment of the licensing fee; 2.16. additional information if the CBK considers it reasonable. Article 6 Evaluation of the request for granting or refusing licensing
5FROM18 Article 5 of this Regulation has been submitted. If the application is incomplete, the CBK shall set a deadline by which the applying CASO must submit the missing information. 3. If the applicant fails to provide the requested clarifications and/or documentation within ten (10) working days or when, depending on the circumstances, the CBK decides on a longer period, but not more than twenty (20) working days, the application will be considered rejected by default. 4. Once the application is complete, the CBK will notify the applying CASO of this. 5. Before granting or rejecting an application for licensing as a CASO, the CBK will communicate with the FIU and other relevant institutions, depending on the type of license. 6. The CBK will license an applying CASOonly if it can effectively exercise its supervisory function over that CASO. 7. The CBK shall, within 60 working days from the date of receipt of a complete application, assess whether the applying CASO complies with the requirements of this Regulation and, after communication with other responsible authorities, adopt a reasoned decision to grant or refuse the license as CASO. The CBK shall notify the applicant of its decision within five working days from the date of receipt of this decision. 8. The CBK refuses licensing as a CASO if the conditions set out in Article 13 of the Law on CryptoAssets are met and if there are objective and factual reasons that: 8.1. the management bodies of the applying CASO pose a threat to its effective, sound and prudent management and to the continuity of its activity, as well as to the due consideration of the interests of its clients and the integrity of the market, or expose the operator to a serious risk of money laundering or terrorist financing; 8.2. any member or more members of the management bodies of the applying CASO do not meet the criteria set out in Article 8 of the Law on Crypto-Assets, Article 10, as well as Article 19 paragraph 2 of this Regulation; 8.3. any of the main shareholders of the applying CASO does not meet the good reputation criteria set out in Article 19, paragraph 3 of this Regulation; 8.4. The applying CASO does not comply or is likely to fail to comply with any of the requirements of this Regulation. 9. The CBK may request, during the assessment period specified in paragraph 7 of this Article, and no later than the 30th day of that period, any other information that is necessary to complete the assessment. Such request shall be made in writing to the applying CASO and shall specify the additional information required. 10. The assessment period under paragraph 7 of this Article shall be suspended for the period between the date of the request for missing information by the CBK and the receipt of a response to this request by the applying CASO. The suspension shall not exceed 20 working days. If the applying CASO does not complete the requested information within 20 working days from the date of the request, the application shall be considered rejected by default. 11. The CBK, within 5 working days of granting the license, informs the FIU-K and/or other responsible authorities depending on the type of license. 12. The license will be granted for an indefinite period of time and will be non-transferable and nontradable.
6FROM18 13. The license certificate will be issued in accordance with the Regulation on Issuance of Licensing or Registration Certificates for Financial Institutions. 14. Before starting the activity, the CASO notifies the CBK of the preparations made and its readiness to start the activity, for the creation of adequate space and infrastructure for carrying out the activity, including the installation of the information technology operating system. 15. During the license application process, as well as their operation, CASO may be examined by the CBK, in accordance with the risk-based supervision manual of banks, namely non-banking financial institutions. Article 7 Suspension or revocation of licensing
7FROM18 2. CASO must provide customers with information that is fair, clear and not misleading, including in marketing materials, which must be identified as such. CASO must not, intentionally or negligently, mislead a customer about the real or perceived advantages of any crypto-asset. 3. CASO must warn clients in writing about the risks associated with transactions in crypto-assets. 4. CASO should provide clients with links to any white papers for the crypto-assets for which they are providing these services, where applicable. 5. CASO should make their policies on prices, costs and fees publicly available, in a visible place in offices, ATMs/cash machines as well as on their website. 6. CASO must provide and disclose to their clients, in a timely manner and before the provision of the service, clear, accurate, understandable and non-misleading information. This information must include the nature of the crypto-assets, the main risks associated with the exchange, the requirements for declaring the legal source of funds, as well as any other relevant information that helps the client decide and understand the risk assumed. The disclosure of this information must be made through electronic forms or in physical form, depending on the channel through which the service is provided. In the case of electronic systems, all confirmations and assertions of the client must be clearly configured and it must be proven that they have been accepted by the client before he decides to carry out a transaction. 7. CASO must ensure that the documents referred to in paragraph 6 of this Article are maintained and available at all times for the supervisory purposes of the CBK and, if requested, also for other competent authorities. Article 9 Capital requests
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10FROM18 4. CASOs that exchange crypto-assets for cash or other crypto-assets must publish information on the transactions carried out by them, including transaction volumes and prices. Article 13 Allocation and Safeguarding of Client Assets and Funds
11FROM18 accordance with the Regulation on cash operations and the Instruction on the license for the provision of cash transaction services through machines and for the import of these machines. 4. Transactions exceeding the amount of EUR 1,000, or the equivalent value in foreign currency, regardless of whether the transaction is carried out as a single transaction or several transactions that are interconnected within 24 hours, must be carried out through transfer from a payment account. 5. The maximum limits on the amount of cash held in ATMs and in internal storage facilities (vaults), as well as the relevant security requirements, will be determined according to specific CBK instructions. 6. For the purposes of paragraph 5 of this article, CASOs are obliged to implement the Regulation on Minimum Security Requirements accordingly, unless otherwise regulated by the CBK. Article 16 Prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing
12FROM18 1.6.2. the approval process is repeated for each reappointment or extension of the mandate. If the CBK does not respond within 45 (forty-five) days after the completion of the requests for these cases, then these requests are considered tacitly approved. 1.7. opening and relocation of offices within the country, for the purposes of this Regulation, relocation of offices within the country means changing the location of the relevant office within the territory of the same municipality; 1.8. dividend distribution. 2. The CBK shall approve or reject the actions specified in paragraph 1 of this Article within 45 working days from the date of completion of the request, based on the documentation specified in paragraphs 4 and 5 of this Article. The CBK may request, during the assessment period specified in this paragraph, and no later than the 15th day of that period, any other information that is necessary to complete the assessment. Such request shall be made in writing to the applying CASO and shall specify the additional information required. 3. The assessment period under paragraph 2 of this Article shall be suspended for the period between the date of the CBK’s request for missing information and the receipt of a response to this request from the applying CASO. The suspension shall not exceed 10 working days. If the applying CASO does not complete the requested information within 10 working days from the date of the request, the application shall be considered rejected by default. 4. For the approval of transactions from paragraph 1 of this article, CASOs submit a written request accompanied by the following documentation: 4.1. name change: 4.1.1. the decision by the decision-making body; and 4.1.2. written justification for such a change. 4.2. changes to the Act of Establishment and/or statute: 4.2.1. decision by the decision-making body; 4.2.2. the act of establishment and/or amended statute; 4.2.3. written justification for such a change to the act of establishment and/or statute. 4.3. share capital increase: 4.3.1. if the share capital has been increased from internal sources: 4.3.1.1. a statement of the source of the capital increase; 4.3.1.2. the external audit report for the previous year; 4.3.1.3. the financial statements of the last period reported to the CBK, which demonstrate the adequacy of these resources within the capital structure. 4.3.2. If the share capital is increased from external sources, then the requirements of Article 5, paragraph 2, subparagraph 2.6 of this regulation shall apply. 4.4. reduction of share capital: 4.4.1. decision by the decision-making body; 4.4.2. description of the impact of such change on capital requirements;
13FROM18 4.4.3. written justification for the reduction of share capital. 4.5. change in main shareholders: 4.5.1. the name, nationality, residence and business and professional history of the applicant, and any beneficial owner of the applicant who, as a result of the transaction, would indirectly benefit from five percent (5%) or more of the capital interests of CASO as well as the information/documentation required in Article 5, paragraph 2, subparagraph 2.6 of this Regulation; 4.5.2. a list of companies in which the proposed owners, including beneficial owners (as described above), hold shares, specifying the level of such shares and the registered addresses of those companies; 4.5.3. for each person organized as a business entity, audited financial statements (if any) for the last three (3) years; 4.5.4. the source and value of the funds used to exercise the appropriation, as defined in Article 5 paragraph 2 subparagraph 2.6 and Article 9 paragraph 5 of this Regulation; and 4.5.5. in any case where the merger of shares would cause CASO to become a subsidiary of a foreign financial institution, a statement from the responsible supervisory authority of the country of origin regarding the fact that there are no objections to the commencement of activity in Kosovo and that it exercises global consolidated supervision over the financial institution established in Kosovo, if applicable; 4.5.6. has signed a notarized agreement for the change of ownership of shares. 4.6. The appointment of directors and persons responsible for management shall be made according to the documentation specified in Article 5, paragraph 2, subparagraph 2.5 of this regulation: 4.7. opening and relocation of offices: 4.7.1. decision by the decision-making body; 4.7.2. justification for opening or relocating the office; 4.7.3. written notification of compliance with technical and safety requirements. Such notification shall specify the steps taken to meet these requirements and photographs to prove this. 4.8. Dividend distribution: 4.8.1. the decision of the shareholders' assembly and the board of directors on the distribution of dividends; 4.8.2. projections regarding the balance sheet, income statement and capital on a monthly basis for the next 12 (twelve) months, reflecting the possible payment of the dividend; 4.8.3. audited financial statements for the previous year. 5. The CBK may request additional documents in addition to those specified in paragraph 4 of this article.
14FROM18 6. The application for approvals under paragraph 1 of this Article, as well as the documentation attached to the application, shall be submitted by the CASOs and shall be in the official language of the Republic of Kosovo, in original or in notarized copies. In the case of documentation issued by the relevant official authorities in foreign countries other than the Republic of Kosovo, the documentation shall also be certified by the responsible authorities of the relevant countries. 7. The CBK shall approve requests submitted under paragraph 1 of this article only if the following criteria are met: 7.1. name change: 7.1.1. The proposed new name will be in accordance with the Law on Crypto-Assets, the Law on Business Organizations, and the Law on the Use of Languages. 7.2. changes to the Act of Establishment and/or statute: 7.2.1. The changes must not be in conflict with the relevant legislation in force, depending on the type of change in question. 7.3. share capital increase: 7.3.1. licensing conditions relating to capital are applied appropriately; 7.4. reduction of share capital: 7.4.1. the impact of such a decline on CASO, including but not limited to the impact the decline may have on CASO's financial stability, ownership structure and shareholder suitability. 7.5. change in main shareholders; 7.5.1. The proposed merger is assessed according to the same criteria that apply to the approval of the application for licensing of the CASOs in relation to the shareholders, including, but not limited to, the expected effects of the proposed merger on the financial stability and ownership structure of the CASOs and the impact of such a merger on the supervision of the CASOs by the CBK. 7.6. appointment of directors and persons responsible for management: 7.6.1. the criteria under Article 19, paragraph 2 of this regulation; 7.7. Opening and relocation of offices within the country: 7.7.1. the impact of the opening or relocation on the community where the office is or will be located; 7.7.2. CASOs must provide the CBK with sufficient information and facts regarding the readiness of the office to carry out its activities in terms of technical and security conditions, including the computer system, personnel, security, etc.; 7.7.3. The CBK has the right to order the suspension of activity in the relevant office even after approval if it determines that the technical and security conditions for the exercise of financial activity have not been met; 7.8. dividend distribution. 7.8.1. the impact of the dividend distribution on CASO, including, but not limited to, the expected effects on the financial sustainability of CASO.
15FROM18 8. When deciding whether to approve such transactions/actions, the CBK will also take into account other criteria in order to achieve its goals set out in applicable legislation. Article 18 Requirements for notification of changes
16FROM18 3. The main shareholders of OSHAs must enjoy good reputation and, in particular, must not have been convicted of criminal offenses related to money laundering or terrorist financing, or for any other criminal offense that would damage their reputation. 4. If the influence exercised by the major shareholders of an CASO endangers the sound and prudent management of that operator, the CBK must take appropriate measures to address these risks. The measures may include: imposing sanctions on members of the management bodies, or suspending the exercise of voting rights attached to the shares held by the shareholders. 5. The management bodies of CASOs must adopt effective policies and procedures to ensure compliance with this Regulation. 6. CASOs should employ staff with the necessary knowledge, skills and expertise to carry out the responsibilities assigned to them, taking into account the scale, nature and range of crypto-asset services provided. 7. The management bodies of the CASOs must periodically assess and review the effectiveness of the policies and procedures established to implement Articles 8, 10, 11, 12 and 19 of this Regulation and take appropriate measures to address any deficiencies in this regard. 8. CASOs must take all reasonable measures to ensure continuity and regularity in the performance of their services. To this end, they must use appropriate and proportionate resources and procedures, including stable and secure information systems, as required by current legislation in force. 9. CASOs must draft and approve a business continuity policy, which must include business continuity plans for information systems, as well as information systems response and recovery plans and which aim to ensure, in the event of disruption of their information systems and procedures, the preservation of essential data and functions and the preservation of crypto-asset services or, where this is not possible, the rapid recovery of those data and functions and the rapid resumption of crypto-asset services. 10. CASOs should implement mechanisms, systems and procedures for effective risk assessment arrangements in accordance with current legislation in force on the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing. They should monitor and, on a regular basis, assess the adequacy and effectiveness of those mechanisms, systems and procedures, taking into account the scale, nature and range of crypto-asset services provided, and should take appropriate measures to address any deficiencies in this regard. 11. CASOs must have systems and procedures to protect the availability, authenticity, integrity and confidentiality of data in accordance with current legislation in force. 12. CASOs must ensure that records are kept of all crypto-asset services, including but not limited to activities, orders and transactions carried out by them. The records must be in accordance with applicable law to enable the responsible authorities to carry out their supervisory duties and take enforcement measures, and in particular to verify whether CASOs have fulfilled all obligations, including those towards clients or potential clients and towards ensuring market integrity. 13. The records kept in accordance with paragraph 12 of this Article shall be made available to customers upon request and shall be kept for a period of five years. Where requested by the responsible authority before the expiry of five years, these records shall be kept for a period of up to seven years.
17FROM18 14. CASOs must implement and maintain effective policies and procedures, taking into account the scale, nature and range of crypto-asset services provided, to identify, prevent, manage and disclose conflicts of interest between: 14.1. themselves and: 14.1.1. shareholders; 14.1.2. any person directly or indirectly related to CASO or its shareholders; 14.1.3. members of the management bodies; 14.1.4. their employees; 14.1.5. their customers; or 14.2. two or more clients whose common interests are in conflict. CHAPTER V FINAL PROVISIONS Article 20 Applicable fees
18FROM18 Entry into force This Regulation shall enter into force 90 (ninety) days after its approval by the Board of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo. Dr.Sc. Bashkim Nurboja Chairman of the Board of the Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo