Regulatory AlertsFiji: crypto & digital assets regulation
BannedFiji prohibits VASPs; RBf defines VAs and bans services under 2025 Amendment
- Lead regulator
- Reserve Bank of Fiji
- Also involved
- Fiji Financial Intelligence Unit (FFIU) for AML/CFT oversight of non-prohibited entities
- Core law
- Reserve Bank of Fiji (Budget Amendment) Act 2025
- Entry capital
- —
- Approval timeline
- —
- Customer assets
- Prohibited
- Data protection
- Data Protection Act 2014 · Office of the Information Commissioner
- Sandbox
- No
Fiji has moved to prohibit Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs). The Reserve Bank of Fiji (RBf) enacted the 2025 Amendment Act, which introduces statutory definitions for virtual assets and explicitly prohibits persons from carrying on or marketing virtual asset services. This represents a hard ban on commercial crypto activities.
Which licence do you need?
| Your activity | Requirement | Capital | Timeline | Authority |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exchange / trading platform | Prohibited[1] Explicitly prohibited by 2025 Amendment Act | — | — | Reserve Bank of Fiji |
| Custody of client assets | Prohibited[1] Explicitly prohibited by 2025 Amendment Act | — | — | Reserve Bank of Fiji |
| Token issuance / public offering | Prohibited[1] Explicitly prohibited by 2025 Amendment Act | — | — | Reserve Bank of Fiji |
| Broker-dealer / OTC desk | Prohibited[1] Explicitly prohibited by 2025 Amendment Act | — | — | Reserve Bank of Fiji |
| Stablecoin issuance | Prohibited[1] Explicitly prohibited by 2025 Amendment Act | — | — | Reserve Bank of Fiji |
| Crypto payments acceptance | Prohibited[1] Explicitly prohibited by 2025 Amendment Act | — | — | Reserve Bank of Fiji |
| Mining / staking services | Uncertainverify with regulator Mining may not be 'service'; unclear if prohibited | — | — | — |
| Advisory / portfolio management | Uncertainverify with regulator Advisory may not be 'service'; unclear if prohibited | — | — | — |
New — what changed recently
- 2025-02-06Reserve Bank of Fiji (Budget Amendment) Act 2025 — Parliament enacted the Act, introducing statutory definitions for virtual assets and prohibiting persons from carrying on or marketing virtual asset services.[1]
Market-entry checklist
- 1Confirm prohibition statusVerify that your specific activity falls under the 'virtual asset service provider' definition in the 2025 Amendment Act.
- 2Consult legal counselEngage local counsel to interpret the scope of 'marketing' and 'carrying on business' under the new Act.
- 3Check AML obligationsDetermine if any residual AML/CFT reporting obligations apply to non-prohibited virtual asset activities.
- 4Assess mining viabilityEvaluate if mining operations are exempt from the VASP prohibition as they may not constitute a 'service'.
Sources
- Reserve Bank of Fiji (Budget Amendment) Act 2025 · 2026-02-06