Kazakhstan to advance crypto reserve plans amid digital transformation push

Kazakhstan is doubling down on its crypto ambitions. In a bold move, the country is pushing forward with plans to establish a national digital asset reserve and expand regulatory clarity for cryptocurrencies.

Kazakhstan is speeding up its intentions to establish a national crypto reserve. In a recent speech, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stressed the need to develop a full-fledged ecosystem of digital assets. The project, a radical change in the financial policy of the country, is included in the overall reforms to digitalize the economy, modernize the infrastructure of the state, and adopt artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

Earlier in January, Tokayev announced the urgent development of the crypto infrastructure in Kazakhstan, saying that a significant number of users continue to work in the gray zone. His most recent speech builds on this, highlighting the determination to take the country to full digitalization within the next three years.

As part of these efforts, Tokayev proposed the creation of a State Fund of Digital Assets, which will serve as a strategic crypto reserve. 

The fund will be housed under the National Bank’s Investment Corporation and is expected to hold promising digital assets within the evolving global financial ecosystem.

Kazakhstan’s National Bank first floated the idea in June, when it revealed that it was considering converting a portion of its gold and foreign exchange reserves into crypto assets. The reserve will be funded through confiscated crypto and coins mined via state-backed operations, with a portion earmarked for the state in the form of taxes or mandatory contributions.

To further support this vision, the president called on the nation’s Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market to pass a Digital Code and a new Law on Banks before the end of 2025. 

These laws will define areas such as the liberalization of digital asset circulation, AI, digitalization process, big data usage, and adoption of technologies in the financial system, and liberalization of digital asset circulation. Tokayev stressed that failing to act decisively in this fast-moving space could lead to serious national consequences.

The creation of a ‘Crypto City’ in Kazakhstan

Another key component of the digital overhaul is the development of Alatau City, also dubbed “CryptoCity.” This planned innovation hub will be fully digitalized, incorporating smart city technologies and enabling crypto-based payments for goods and services. The city, which already has land and infrastructure plans in place, will operate under a special legal regime directly under the federal government.

Meanwhile, the digital tenge, the nation’s central bank digital currency (CBDC), is already being used to finance national projects. Tokayev proposed expanding its use across republican and local budgets, as well as state holdings.

These measures align Kazakhstan with a growing number of nations exploring digital asset reserves. Countries like Brazil, Ukraine, and Indonesia have begun similar discussions, inspired in part by the United States’ own crypto reserve plans under a directive from President Donald Trump.

Kazakhstan’s crypto reserve push signals a firm pivot toward embracing digital finance and blockchain as pillars of its economic strategy. While legislative and infrastructural hurdles remain, the vision laid out by President Tokayev places Kazakhstan on a bold path, aiming to stay competitive in the era of digital economies.