Belarus just took a big leap into the world of digital finance. On January 16, 2026, President Alexander Lukashenko signed Decree No. 19, giving the green light to a new kind of financial institution, “cryptobanks”.
These aren’t just regular banks. They blend traditional banking with digital token services, all under one roof.
With these new rules, a cryptobank is basically a joint-stock company that can handle digital tokens right alongside regular banking and payment services.
Now, these banks have a clear legal framework to work in, a space where the old-school world of banking meets the fast-moving tech of blockchain tokens.
A Structured Entry into Crypto Banking
If an organization wants to become a cryptobank in Belarus, it has to get resident status in the country’s High-Tech Park (HTP) first.
The HTP is basically a special zone set up to pull in tech companies and boost innovation. It already plays a big part in Belarus’s IT and blockchain world, and earlier financial laws put it right at the center of digital asset regulation.
But that’s just the first step. After joining the HTP, the organization also needs to get on a special register run by the National Bank of the Republic of Belarus.
So, there are two boxes to tick: HTP residency and approval from the central bank. With these rules in place, only organizations that pass both checks can actually run as cryptobanks.
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Dual Supervision: Balancing Innovation and Oversight
What really sets the new regime apart is its dual supervision approach. Cryptobanks don’t just answer to one authority.
They have to deal with both the High-Tech Park, which keeps an eye on tech and innovation, and the National Bank, which handles the bigger picture: financial stability, compliance, risk management, all that stuff. The idea here is to push for new ideas, but don’t drop the ball on safety.
So, cryptobanks have to stick to the rules that already apply to non-bank credit and financial organizations in Belarus.
On top of that, they need to follow whatever the HTP Supervisory Board decides. That just shows how much influence the tech hub has when it comes to setting the rules for everyone under its roof.
Blending Traditional and Token Services
Belarus is jumping on a bigger trend; governments everywhere are trying to bring digital assets and old-school finance together.
Now that banks can handle tokens in a regulated way, cryptobanks get to mix the best of both worlds.
People can use familiar banking tools like deposits, payments, and loans, but also get access to blockchain stuff, like moving digital tokens around.
Officials seem confident that this mix will give people the safety and protections they expect from real banks, plus the speed and flexibility that come with digital tokens.
They haven’t shared all the details yet, but they’re talking about things like tokenized deposits, blockchain payments, and secure places to keep digital assets, all tied in with regular savings and loans.
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