Cambodia Establishes Inter-Ministerial Working Group to Regulate Digital Currency Circulation
On August 10, Cambodia announced the formation of the “Inter-Ministerial Working Group Responsible for Preparing and Drafting the Law on the Management of Virtual Assets/Digital Assets and Related Legal Instruments,” following a decision signed by Prime Minister Hun Manet in July. The 26-member group, co-chaired by a secretary of state from the Ministry of Economy and Finance and a deputy governor of the National Bank of Cambodia (NBC), will oversee the research and drafting of legislation governing virtual and digital assets in the Kingdom, including cryptocurrencies, digital wallets, and e-commerce activities. Ultimately, the objective is to support the development of a coherent and comprehensive legal framework that balances the interests of stakeholders while remaining practically enforceable.
The establishment of the working group signals Cambodia's commitment to developing a more comprehensive regulatory framework for virtual and digital assets. Beyond defining asset categories and identifying service providers, the initiative is expected to clarify the rights and obligations of market participants while strengthening investor and consumer protections. Recent measures by the NBC underscore this direction: on August 6, 2026, the central bank issued Notification No. B14-026-1075 SCN, reminding businesses that issue e-money within a single network to notify the NBC and comply with prescribed limits and operational requirements.
As digital asset adoption expands, experts believe the working group will likely focus on determining which crypto assets may be legally traded and how they should be regulated; by drawing on international best practices, Cambodia can balance innovation with financial stability and consumer safeguards as it formalizes oversight of the sector. For financial services firms, greater regulatory clarity should reduce compliance uncertainty and support the development of digital finance offerings. Coupled with the government’s ongoing crackdown on online scams and fraudulent accounts, such internationally-driven frameworks could further boost confidence in Cambodia's digital economy and create new opportunities for multinational firms—beyond QR-coded initiatives by local banks—in digital banking and cross-border payment services as Southeast Asia continues to digitalize its commercial networks.
