Is crypto legal in Uganda?

In Uganda, the Bank of Uganda (BoU) is the central bank. On the same web page as the quotes below, it explains that it licenses and authorises payment system providers and system operators under the National Payment Systems Act, 2020.

The quotes come from the “Virtual Assets” section of the BoU’s page on financial infrastructure and innovation. The page is not dated, so the quotes carry the date on which we captured it. In them, the BoU says how it views virtual and digital assets: as having both innovation potential and risks that could affect financial stability if not properly regulated. It says that it is working with other key stakeholders to develop a regulatory framework for virtual assets, and it mentions the Special Technical Working Group on Blockchain Technology set up under the Financial Sector Stability Forum to study virtual assets, their use cases and the associated risks.

The same page also describes the BoU’s public consultation on a possible central bank digital currency (CBDC) for Uganda, which is a separate topic from the virtual assets discussed in the quotes.

The quoted statements do not name a body that licenses crypto platforms in Uganda, so no register is linked on this page. Before you use a crypto platform, ask the BoU about its status through the contacts on the BoU website.