Cayman Islands
Cayman IslandsCayman has licensed crypto custodians and trading platforms since April 2025 and is a common home for token foundations and crypto funds.
Key Regulatory Progress
Every law, rule and official guide on crypto in Cayman Islands: 11 apply today, and the rest show what's coming and how regulators read the rules. Each is explained in plain words and linked to the official original.
Last checked against the originals on 15 Oct 2026.
Core framework
The primary statutes that define crypto assets and who may deal in them.
- In forceApplies today
Virtual Asset (Service Providers) Act (2024 Revision)
Consolidated text of the core crypto law as revised at 31 December 2023, defining virtual assets and virtual asset services and requiring registration or a licence. Later amended by Act 22 of 2024 and Act 4 of 2026.
Read the original - GuidanceNot binding law
2025 VASP Regulatory Forum: Summary Highlights
Summary of CIMA's 12 November 2025 forum: application expectations under phase two, supervisory findings, and work towards a phase three that includes exploring a regulatory sandbox.
Read the original - SupersededReplaced
Virtual Asset (Service Providers) Law, 2020 (Law 14 of 2020)
The original VASP law, passed on 20 May 2020 and assented to on 25 May 2020. Its phased regime started with registration on 31 October 2020; the text is now consolidated in later revisions.
Read the original
Exchanges & custody
Licensing, conduct and custody rules for trading platforms and service providers.
- In forceApplies today
Rule: Obligations for the Provision of Virtual Asset Services, Virtual Asset Custodians and Virtual Asset Trading Platforms
Governance, capital, risk management, cybersecurity and listing rules for licensed custodians and platforms. Capital must be the higher of a risk-based amount or six months' fixed overheads; conduct sections moved to the Market Conduct Rule in February 2026.
Read the original - In forceApplies today
Virtual Asset (Service Providers) (Amendment) Regulations, 2025 (SL 19 of 2025)
Sets application documents and fees: KYD 1,000 to apply for registration, KYD 5,000 to apply for a licence, and grant fees of KYD 30,000 for custody and KYD 100,000 for a trading platform, lower for local companies.
Read the original - In forceApplies today
Virtual Asset (Service Providers) (Amendment) Act, 2024 (Commencement) Order, 2025 (SL 17 of 2025)
Made on 25 February 2025, it brought most of the 2024 amendments into force on 1 April 2025 in respect of licences, registrations and waivers. The sandbox licence provisions were not commenced.
Read the original - In forceApplies today
Virtual Asset (Service Providers) (Amendment) Act, 2024 (Act 22 of 2024)
Phase two amendments: licensing for custodians and trading platforms, at least three directors including one independent director, prior approval of senior officers and business plan changes, and wider enforcement powers.
Read the original - ConsultationDraft out for comment
Private Sector Consultation: Rule and Statement of Guidance on Cybersecurity for VASPs
Proposes a standalone cybersecurity rule for VASPs covering risks such as wallet infrastructure, private keys, smart contracts and third-party technology, beyond the cross-sector rule applied to VASPs since 2023.
Read the original - GuidanceNot binding law
Virtual Asset Service Providers Registration Statistics
Quarterly counts of registered VASPs: 18 in Q4 2025, of which 3 ran trading platforms, 7 offered custody, 10 offered conversion and 1 issued virtual assets.
Read the original - GuidanceNot binding law
Desk-Based Review: Registered Virtual Asset Service Providers
Findings from a review of 11 registered VASPs between September 2024 and February 2025, citing weaknesses in board composition, succession planning, business continuity, cybersecurity and custody arrangements.
Read the original - GuidanceNot binding law
Regulatory Policy: Registration or Licensing of Virtual Asset Service Providers
Sets the criteria CIMA uses to approve registrations, licences and waivers, including fit and proper tests for owners of 10% or more, governance, business plans and travel rule systems. Effective 30 May 2025.
Read the original - GuidanceNot binding law
Virtual Asset Service Providers FAQs
CIMA's answers on scope, the move from registration to licensing on 1 April 2025, the 90-day transition, waivers, fees and travel rule compliance.
Read the original
Tokenisation & securities
Security tokens, RWA, funds and ETFs.
- In forceApplies today
Virtual Asset (Service Providers) (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Act 4 of 2026)
Excludes digital equity tokens of tokenised mutual funds and digital investment tokens of tokenised private funds from virtual asset issuance, and repeals the 2025 amending Act. Gazetted 24 March 2026.
Read the original - In forceApplies today
Mutual Funds (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Act 5 of 2026)
Adds Part 3B on tokenised mutual funds: operator approval for token transfers, token risk disclosure in the offering document, annual confirmation of record-keeping, and CIMA power to restrict token features.
Read the original - In forceApplies today
Private Funds (Amendment) Act, 2026 (Act 6 of 2026)
Creates the parallel framework for tokenised private funds, whose investment interests are represented by digital investment tokens, alongside the existing private fund rules.
Read the original - ConsultationDraft out for comment
Private Sector Consultation: Rule and Statement of Guidance on Tokenised Funds
Proposes requirements for tokenised mutual and private funds under the March 2026 amendments, covering governance, investor register integrity, transferability, valuation, custody and disclosures.
Read the original - SupersededReplaced
Virtual Asset (Service Providers) (Amendment) Act, 2025
Would have excluded tokenised fund interests from the definition of virtual asset issuance, retroactively. It was never brought into force and was repealed by Act 4 of 2026.
Read the original
AML & travel rule
Anti-money-laundering obligations and the FATF travel rule.
- In forceApplies today
Anti-Money Laundering Regulations (2025 Revision)
Part 10A sets the travel rule for virtual asset transfers, requiring originating VASPs to collect and send originator and beneficiary information. CIMA states Part 10A has applied since 1 July 2022.
Read the original
Tax
How gains, income and transactions are taxed.
- In forceApplies today
Tax Information Authority (International Tax Compliance) (Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework) Regulations, 2025 (SL 51 of 2025)
Implements the OECD CARF from 1 January 2026: Cayman reporting crypto-asset service providers register by 30 April 2026 (or 31 January after the year they start) and file annual returns by 30 June.
Read the original - GuidanceNot binding law
Regulations Now Published on CARF and CRS
Announces the CARF and amended CRS regulations published on 27 November 2025; in-scope entities report 2026 information in 2027, when Cayman makes its first exchanges with partner jurisdictions.
Read the original
Investor protection
Market abuse, disclosure, advertising and retail safeguards.
- In forceApplies today
Rule and Statement of Guidance: Market Conduct for Virtual Asset Service Providers
Applies to all VASPs: conflicts of interest, client asset segregation, insurance, marketing and risk warnings, onboarding, complaints, own-account trading, and specific duties for trading platforms and custodians.
Read the original - GuidanceNot binding law
BitMart Not Regulated by CIMA
Public notice that BitMart and related entities, including GBM Foundation Company Ltd., have never been registered or licensed by CIMA to provide virtual asset services in or from Cayman.
Read the original - GuidanceNot binding law
Gate.io and Gate Global Corp Not Registered With CIMA
Public notice, issued after complaints, that Gate.io and Gate Global Corp have never been authorised to conduct VASP business in or from the Cayman Islands.
Read the original - GuidanceNot binding law
Statement of Principles: Conduct of Virtual Asset Services
General standards for all VASPs, including honesty and integrity, fair treatment of customers and protection of customer data, against which CIMA assesses compliance.
Read the original
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