Turkey’s crypto law.Platforms under the SPK.
Türkiye has one of the largest crypto user bases in the world, and until 2024 its exchanges were barely regulated. Law No. 7518, in force since July 2024, changed that: every platform that serves users in Türkiye now needs permission from the Capital Markets Board (Sermaye Piyasası Kurulu, SPK), and MASAK enforces anti-money-laundering rules on top. Below: what the law requires, how the transition works, what the SPK list means, the rules on custody, transfers and payments, and how crypto is taxed.
Reviewed November 1, 2026 · figures from our live data
The short answer
Law 7518 (July 2024) amended the Capital Markets Law: crypto asset service providers — exchanges, custodians, transfer services — need SPK permission to set up and to operate. Serving users in Türkiye without it is a criminal offence.
The SPK publishes a list of providers operating during the transition and a list of those being wound up. Being on the operating list is not a licence; the SPK says so itself.
Detailed rules of March 2025 set minimum capital, require customer money to sit in bank accounts and most customer crypto with authorised custodians.
Paying for goods and services with crypto has been banned since April 2021. MASAK rules from 2025 cap stablecoin transfers and add waiting times on withdrawals. There is no crypto-specific tax in force.
tokens issued in Türkiye in our data today
issuers
What Law 7518 requires
The law brought crypto under the Capital Markets Law and gave the SPK the power to license and supervise.
- 1
Who needs permission
Crypto asset service providers: trading platforms, custody institutions and providers that transfer or hold crypto for customers. They need SPK approval to be set up and a separate operating permission.
- 2
Foreign platforms
Platforms abroad may not offer services to users resident in Türkiye, advertise to them or open offices there without permission. Access to unlicensed foreign platforms can be blocked.
- 3
Penalties
Running a crypto service without permission is a crime under the law, punishable by prison and a judicial fine.
- 4
Two supervisors
The SPK licenses and supervises; MASAK, the financial crimes investigation board, sets and enforces the anti-money-laundering rules, including identity checks and the travel rule for transfers.
The detailed rules of March 2025
Two SPK communiqués published in the Official Gazette on 13 March 2025 set out how providers must be organised.
- 1
Minimum capital
Set in Turkish lira and updated over time; the March 2025 rules named TRY 150 million for trading platforms and TRY 500 million for custody institutions.
- 2
Customer money
Customers’ cash must be held in bank accounts, separate from the platform’s own money.
- 3
Customer crypto
Most customer crypto that is not withdrawn to the customer’s own wallet must be kept with an authorised custody institution; banks may act as custodians.
- 4
Deadlines
A provider that gets set-up approval but does not apply for its operating permission within six months loses the right to it. Providers that did not apply in the transition period had to stop and wind up.
The SPK list: what it means
Status as of 1 November 2026.
- 1
“Operating” list
The SPK publishes the providers that may keep operating while their applications are reviewed. The SPK states that appearing on it is not an authorisation, so “on the SPK list” is not the same as “SPK licensed”.
- 2
“Being wound up” list
Providers that withdrew or were refused are listed separately. If your platform is there, it may only close accounts and return assets.
- 3
Final licences
Reports in 2026 describe the first final authorisations on the custody side, for banks. We have not found an official SPK list of fully licensed trading platforms; check the SPK page before you rely on a platform’s claim.
Rules users meet day to day
- 1
No paying with crypto
Under a central bank regulation in force since 30 April 2021, crypto may not be used, directly or indirectly, to pay for goods and services, and payment companies may not route money for it.
- 2
Stablecoin transfer limits
MASAK rules introduced in 2025 cap stablecoin transfers per user — reported at about USD 3,000 a day and USD 50,000 a month, higher when full sender information travels with the transfer. Figures differ between sources; check your platform.
- 3
Waiting times on withdrawals
Platforms must hold some withdrawals for a period — reported at 48 hours, and 72 hours for a first withdrawal — when transfer information is incomplete.
- 4
Tax
There is no crypto-specific tax in force: a 0.03% transaction tax and a 10% withholding on gains were withdrawn from parliament on 27 March 2026. Regular trading can count as business income; whether occasional gains are taxed is disputed. See our Türkiye tax page.
Questions
Is crypto legal in Turkey?+
Owning and trading crypto is legal. Platforms that serve users in Türkiye need permission from the Capital Markets Board (SPK) under Law 7518, and paying for goods and services with crypto has been banned since April 2021.
Which crypto exchanges are licensed in Turkey?+
The SPK publishes a list of providers allowed to keep operating during the transition, but says that being on it is not an authorisation. We found no official list of fully licensed trading platforms as of 1 November 2026; check the SPK website.
Can I use a foreign exchange from Turkey?+
Foreign platforms may not serve users resident in Türkiye without SPK permission, and access to unlicensed platforms can be blocked. The legal risk sits mainly with the platform; your practical risk is losing access to your funds.
Is crypto taxed in Turkey?+
There is no crypto-specific tax in force. A transaction tax and a withholding tax on gains were withdrawn from parliament on 27 March 2026. Regular trading can be business income under general rules; occasional gains are disputed.
Are there limits on stablecoin transfers in Turkey?+
Yes. MASAK rules from 2025 cap stablecoin transfers per user — reported at about USD 3,000 a day and USD 50,000 a month, more with full sender information — and add waiting times on some withdrawals.
- Tokenized market in Türkiye →
- Crypto taxes in Türkiye →
- What happens if an exchange is hacked →
- KYC for tokenized assets →
- SPK — crypto asset service providers: operating list
- NTV — crypto bill passes parliament (2024)
- Webrazzi — new rules for crypto service providers (13 Mar 2025)
- Bigpara — capital requirements for crypto platforms
- Chambers — Blockchain & Crypto-Assets 2026: Turkey
- Bayraktar — cryptocurrency laws in Turkey 2026 (MASAK limits)
- Fintechtime — SPK provisional list (Aug 2026)
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