Share this article

Vietnam Is Preparing to Legally Recognize Bitcoin

Vietnam's prime minister has approved a plan that could see the country formally recognize bitcoin as a form of payment, reports say.

Updated Sep 13, 2021, 6:51 a.m. Published Aug 25, 2017, 1:00 p.m. 1 min read
Statue of Ho Chi Minh  in front of Ho Chi Minh City Hall in Vietnam.

Vietnam's prime minister has approved a plan that could see the country formally recognize bitcoin as a form of payment by 2018.

According to regional news services VNA, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has tasked Vietnam's central bank as well as the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Public Safety, to draw up a legal framework around cryptocurrencies.

An assessment for how the government should approach this process is due to be completed by August of next year. Once that is concluded, it's expected that drawing up the legal documents required to recognize cryptocurrencies under a regulatory framework will be completed by the end of 2018.

In tandem, officials will also begin work on a tax treatment for cryptocurrencies. According to VNA, a system governing how cryptocurrency users will be taxed in Vietnam is slated to be in place by June 2019.

If approved, the move would signal that leaders in Vietnam are moving away from the more cautious viewpoint expressed in 2014, when central bank officials warned consumers about the risk of cryptocurrencies.

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam image via Shutterstock

More For You

Donald Trump (Credit: Library of Congress on Unsplash/Modified by CoinDesk)

"An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries," wrote President Trump late Saturday afternoon.

What to know:

  • Down sharply earlier Saturday, bitcoin moved to gains on the day after President Trump announced a peace agreement with Iran and other Middle Eastern countries.
  • As part of the deal, Trump said, the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened.