Cambodia Forms 26-Member Group to Draft Crypto and Digital Asset Rules

Highlights:

• Cambodia formed a 26-member working group to draft laws regulating cryptocurrencies, virtual assets, and related services.
• The new framework is expected to define digital assets, service providers, user rights, and investor protections.
• The National Bank of Cambodia is also tightening e-wallet rules as broader digital finance regulation develops.

Cambodia is moving to create a formal legal framework for virtual and digital assets, including cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin. The government has formed an inter-ministerial working group that will prepare draft legislation and related rules for the sector.

According to an August 11 report by the Phnom Penh Post, Prime Minister Hun Manet signed the decision on July 8, while the government made it public on August 10. The new body is officially named the “Inter-Ministerial Working Group Responsible for Preparing and Drafting the Law on the Management of Virtual Assets/Digital Assets and Related Legal Instruments”.

The working group will have 26 members. A secretary of state from the Ministry of Economy and Finance and a deputy governor of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC) will serve as co-chairs.

BREAKING: 🇰🇭 Cambodia moves to regulate Bitcoin & crypto.

• Prime Minister ordered new working group.

• Co-led by Finance Ministry & Central Bank. pic.twitter.com/BpU82IdtUR

— Bitcoin Archive (@BitcoinArchive) August 11, 2026

26-Member Group Will Draft Cambodia’s Digital Asset Rules

The group will study existing laws, regulations and international approaches to virtual assets. It will also review practices already being used in Cambodia and other countries. In addition, members will hold meetings, consultations and exchanges with organizations working in related areas. The group can also invite recommendations from relevant partners as it develops the draft law.

The government wants the final framework to be clear, comprehensive and practical to enforce. It also aims to develop rules that can gain support from the parties affected by the new legal system. Duch Darin, a former economics professor in the United States, welcomed the move. He told the Phnom Penh Post that digital assets can include assets created, stored or transferred through digital systems. He also noted that cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are digital assets that circulate globally.

Cambodia Crypto Rules Could Focus on Investor Protection

Darin said the working group could play an important role in defining which digital assets fall under Cambodia’s rules. He said the framework should also identify service providers and establish clear rights and responsibilities for digital asset users. He added that the group should “establish mechanisms for investor protection” while deciding which types of crypto assets can operate under regulation.

Consumer protection is also expected to be a key part of the discussions. Darin said Cambodia should study regulatory models from other countries and use relevant international best practices when shaping its digital asset framework. The announcement does not yet specify which cryptocurrencies will be permitted, which activities could require regulatory approval, or when the draft law will be completed. Those details will depend on the working group’s review and the legislation it eventually prepares.

National Bank of Cambodia Also Addresses E-Wallet Rules

The digital asset initiative comes as the National Bank of Cambodia takes separate steps around electronic payments. On August 6, the central bank issued a notice covering notification duties for businesses that issue electronic money, including e-wallet accounts used to pay for products or services within a single network.

Under the notice, companies that are not registered as banking and financial institutions or payment service providers must notify the National Bank of Cambodia before conducting transactions through qualifying e-wallet arrangements. The two developments expand Cambodia’s efforts to establish clearer rules for its digital finance sector, covering both virtual assets and certain electronic payment services.