Top 5 Crypto-Friendly Countries In 2023 - Find Out Where To Invest

Salomon Kisters

Feb 13, 2023

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To generally gauge a country’s attitude towards technology and innovation, you need to take a look at their adoption rate of crypto, and the general attitude of the country and people towards blockchain technology.

A crypto-friendly country has a favorable regulatory environment and infrastructure for the use and adoption of cryptocurrency. It recognizes crypto as a legal form of currency, has positive regulations, easy accessibility, and encourages innovation and education on cryptocurrency.

But it’s important to note that crypto regulations can vary and change over time, so crypto friendliness can vary among countries.

Here are our top 5 crypto-friendly countries in 2023:

Japan

Japan has had a relatively positive attitude towards cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. In April 2017, Japan passed a law recognizing bitcoin as a legal method of payment, making it one of the first countries to do so. This has led to the proliferation of bitcoin-accepting businesses in Japan, and it is now relatively easy to use bitcoin for payments in the country.

In terms of blockchain technology, Japan has been a leader in exploring its potential uses. In 2016, the Japanese government conducted a pilot project using blockchain technology to improve the transparency and efficiency of its administrative processes. Since then, the government has continued to invest in and support the development of blockchain technology, including through partnerships with private companies and academic institutions.

As for the tax laws, those are relatively tight. There is a 30% corporate tax on crypto holdings of crypto issuing companies, even if the profit is just on paper and has not been realized through the sale. This has forced many small crypto companies and businesses to set up shop elsewhere.

However, in a meeting held by Japan’s ruling party on December 15th, 2022, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) decided that crypto companies would no longer have to pay tax on paper profit. This move is expected to promote crypto businesses in Japan, making it a new haven for Crypto in Asia.

Overall, the Japanese government and people seem to have a positive attitude toward cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, and the country has become a hub for cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation.

Germany

Germany has taken a proactive approach to regulate the industry. In 2013, the German Ministry of Finance issued a statement recognizing bitcoin as a “unit of account” that can be used for tax and trading purposes. This was an important step in legitimizing bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies in the country.

Taxation is relatively lenient in Germany. For individuals, if you hold crypto for more than a year, you won’t be taxed on any gains from it. If your cumulative profits are under 600 Euros, you will not be taxed. Furthermore, the crypto is also exempt from any VAT. The laws are different for businesses, but to be fair, businesses can invest a lot more heavily and thus face more restrictive tax laws.

One of the reasons why Germany is a good place for cryptocurrency is that it has a well-developed legal framework for regulating the industry. In addition to the 2013 Ministry of Finance statement, Germany has also passed many laws and regulations to ensure the legal and ethical use of cryptocurrency.

For example, the German Banking Act requires cryptocurrency exchanges to register with the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) and comply with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regulations.

El Salvador

El Salvador has made headlines in recent years for its embrace of cryptocurrency and its efforts to position itself as a hub for cryptocurrency and blockchain innovation. In June 2021, El Salvador became the first country to make bitcoin legal tender, with the approval of the Bitcoin Law, which allows bitcoin to be used as a means of payment in the country.

One of the most notable developments in El Salvador’s push to promote cryptocurrency and blockchain technology is the “Bitcoin City” project, which aims to create a hub for cryptocurrency and blockchain-related businesses in the country. The project is being developed by Bitcoin Salvador, a company founded by the country’s president, Nayib Bukele, and aims to attract businesses and entrepreneurs working in the cryptocurrency and blockchain space.

The country is a tax haven for crypto. After announcing Bitcoin as a legal tender, the country is doing everything that it can to attract crypto investors and increase the proliferation of crypto in the country, branding itself as the ambassador of crypto in the region.

El Salvador has also introduced a “golden visa” program, which allows foreign investors who invest a certain amount of money in the country to obtain a visa and residency permit. The program includes provisions for investment in cryptocurrency and blockchain-related projects, which could further help to attract cryptocurrency businesses and entrepreneurs to the country.

El Salvador’s embrace of cryptocurrency and blockchain technology, as well as its supportive regulatory environment and relatively low tax rates, make it an attractive place for cryptocurrency businesses and investors.

Singapore

Singapore has a reputation as a cryptocurrency-friendly country and has a long history with cryptocurrency and blockchain technology. In 2014, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) issued guidelines on the regulation of virtual currencies, stating that while it would not regulate virtual currencies per se, it would regulate activities that involve virtual currencies if they fall within the scope of existing laws and regulations.

The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) classified Ethereum, Bitcoin, and other cryptos as Digital Payment Tokens. There is no capital gains tax on crypto in Singapore, and the only tax that you will have to pay is for business activities that use crypto, which is the normal form of taxation for any sort of money, and it comes under the category of income tax.

Several famous cryptocurrency and blockchain projects hail from Singapore, including Ethereum, a decentralized platform for smart contracts, and Zilliqa, a high-throughput blockchain platform. Singapore is also home to many cryptocurrency exchanges, including Binance and Coinbase, which have established offices in the country.

The public’s attitude towards cryptocurrency in Singapore is generally positive, with a large percentage of the population being aware of and interested in cryptocurrency. According to a survey conducted in 2019, around 50% of Singaporeans were aware of cryptocurrency, and around 20% had purchased or owned cryptocurrency.

South Korea

South Korea has had a mixed attitude towards cryptocurrency in the past, with the government implementing various regulations and restrictions on the industry. Despite this, the country has a thriving crypto economy, with a large number of cryptocurrency exchanges and startups based in the country.

South Korea recently planned to apply a 20% tax on all crypto earnings, but the decision was postponed, and it will now be implemented in 2025. There is a lot of controversy around the issue, and the president, Yun Suk-yeol, has promised to work on the regulations before applying the tax. The government has also implemented regulations to prevent money laundering and other illegal activities using cryptocurrency.

There are a large number of cryptocurrency exchanges in South Korea, such as Bithumb and Upbit, which are among the largest cryptocurrency exchanges in the world. The country also has a number of cryptocurrency-related startups and projects, including ICON, a blockchain platform for decentralized applications, and Cosmos, a blockchain ecosystem that aims to connect different blockchain networks.

The South Korean government has implemented regulations on the cryptocurrency industry in recent years, which has caused some uncertainty among investors and businesses. However, the government has also shown a willingness to work with the industry and support the development of blockchain technology.

Despite the government’s mixed attitude, the public’s attitude towards cryptocurrency in South Korea is generally positive, with a large percentage of the population being aware of and interested in cryptocurrency.

According to a survey conducted in 2019, around 70% of South Koreans were aware of cryptocurrency, and around 20% had purchased or owned cryptocurrency.

Conclusion

Here is our list of the top 5 countries for crypto in 2023. The criteria we looked at were the attitude of the government and the public, the number of exchanges/startups in the country, tax laws, and the legal status of crypto in the country.

If you think we missed a country, or you know of better examples, let us know!

We’ve also got a list of [the top 10 counties that use crypto and bitcoin the most](/blog/the-top-10-countries-that-use-crypto-and-bitcoin-the-most/

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