Bolivia has committed to developing a regulatory and supervisory framework for cryptocurrencies as part of its economic program with the International Monetary Fund. According to reports from crypto.news, the Bolivian Ministry of Economy and Public Finance set out this commitment in its September 10 Memorandum of Economic and Financial Policies, grouping virtual asset oversight with reforms covering monetary and foreign exchange markets, pension risks and anti money laundering controls. The document calls for a 'robust' framework for regulating and supervising virtual assets to reduce the risk of improper capital outflows and protect financial resilience.
Under the memorandum, authorities plan to strengthen supervision of virtual assets alongside changes to the country's monetary and exchange rate systems. As reported by crypto.news, the government stated that the crypto framework would be designed to prevent illicit capital leakage through digital asset markets while supporting financial stability. The planned rules are intended to curb illicit capital outflows through crypto markets, though no implementation deadline has been set. No decision has been disclosed on whether the framework will be introduced through legislation, an executive decree or administrative regulations.
Crypto use has expanded significantly as Bolivia has faced shortages of U.S. dollars and pressure on its foreign currency reserves. According to crypto.news, USDT has become particularly visible as residents and businesses look for dollar denominated alternatives. Tether CEO Paolo Ardoino stated in August that use of the stablecoin was increasing in Bolivia and several other economies experiencing monetary instability. Bolivia's central bank publishes a reference USDT exchange rate based on weighted peer-to-peer trading activity on Binance, with the country recording an estimated ₹1.48 lakh crore ($14.8 billion) in crypto activity between July 2022 and June 2025, according to Chainalysis data.
The government has been considering a more formal role for USDT, with officials evaluating a plan that could allow USDT to operate within the national payment system alongside the boliviano and U.S. dollar. As reported by crypto.news, a proposal reported in July would permit USDT as a payment option, while local lenders Banco Unión and Banco FIE were already providing services linked to the stablecoin. State involvement with crypto predates this payment proposal, with state-owned energy company YPFB receiving government authorization in March 2025 to use crypto for fuel imports due to dollar shortages.
Bolivia remains under increased monitoring by FATF, commonly referred to as the FATF grey list, as authorities work to strengthen anti money laundering and financial supervision controls. According to crypto.news, FATF said in its June 2026 review that Bolivia had made progress but still needed to complete several measures, including strengthening risk-based supervision in designated nonfinancial sectors and increasing money laundering investigations and prosecutions. The organization's standards for virtual assets require countries to identify and address money laundering and terrorism financing risks linked to the sector.
