Kazakhstan Is Building a Cryptocurrency Reserve

Kazakhstan plans to establish a national cryptocurrency reserve using a portion of the digital assets mined by domestic operators. New regulations governing the scheme are set to take effect on August 1, 2026.

Companies approved for the program will transfer part of their mined assets to the Astana Hub Autonomous Cluster Fund. The assets will then be placed under the fiduciary management of the National Investment Corporation, which operates under the National Bank of Kazakhstan.

This arrangement will allow the national reserve to grow through the activities of privately owned mining companies. However, the government has not disclosed what percentage of their output participating firms will be required to hand over.

In return, companies will receive access to energy quotas at preferential rates for up to 10 years. The incentive is intended to attract major operators willing to contribute to the country’s cryptocurrency reserve.

Companies will be able to apply through Kazakhstan’s E-Licensing system. Applications will be reviewed by a dedicated committee. Once approved, a company will have five business days to sign an agreement with the Astana Hub Fund. Before beginning operations, it must also enter into a contract with an authorized energy producer.

The program will be open only to large-scale operators. To qualify, a company must operate data centers with a total capacity of at least 150 megawatts. Each mining device must deliver a minimum hashrate of 150 terahashes per second. Participants must also have repair facilities, qualified technical staff, and contracts with several internet service providers.

The new regulations form part of Kazakhstan’s national strategy for developing its digital asset sector. The country previously launched the state-backed Alem Crypto Fund and introduced regulated cryptocurrency payments in partnership with Binance Kazakhstan.