🇹🇷 Crypto licence in Turkey

The regime

Turkey's July 2024 capital-markets amendment created a licensing regime for crypto-asset service providers under the Capital Markets Board (CMB), formalising one of the world's highest-adoption crypto markets. Platforms operating in Turkey appear on the CMB's "in operation" list while full authorisations process, with secondary regulations (capital, custody, technology standards via TÜBİTAK) issued in 2025.

The law targets exchanges, custodians and wallet providers serving Turkish residents; unlicensed offshore targeting of Turkish customers is squeezed through access-blocking and banking controls.

Requirements

• CMB authorisation as a crypto-asset service provider under the 2024 amendment to the Capital Markets Law.
• Capital: minimum paid-in capital set by secondary regulation (platforms at the top of the scale), with shareholder fit-and-proper checks.
• Custody: customer assets segregated, with qualified custody arrangements — bank-grade custody for significant balances.
• Technology standards: systems and security criteria assessed against TÜBİTAK-set standards.

Licensed firms

Platforms on the CMB's operating list include:

• BTCTurk — major domestic exchange
• Paribu — major domestic exchange
• Binance TR, OKX TR — local entities of global exchanges

Snapshot, not the register: verify current status against CMB list of operating CASPs before relying on it.

Is crypto trading legal in Turkey?

Yes — trading is legal and massive (Turkey ranks among the highest-adoption markets globally). Crypto payments have been banned since 2021, and platforms must be on the CMB's list to serve Turkish customers.

What does the CMB regime require of exchanges?

Authorisation with substantial paid-in capital, segregated and qualified custody of customer assets, technology audits against TÜBİTAK standards, and shareholder vetting under the Capital Markets Law amendment.