Vietnam has put a definite timeline for its national crypto asset market plans, with the second half of the year likely seeing the plan seeing the light of day.
According to media reports published on Wednesday, the start of the first legal activity in the country’s regulated crypto market will take place no later than the third quarter of 2026, according to Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyen Duc Chi.
Deputy Minister of Finance Nguyen Duc Chi made the statement during the Digital Trust in Finance 2026 conference held on Tuesday.
“We expect Vietnam to conduct its first crypto asset activities as early as the third quarter, within a regulated market environment that ensures security,” Chi said, as quoted by the local news portal, VnEconomy.
The comments come as the country is looking to establish itself as a global leader in crypto adoption, placing in the top 3-4 in the world for usage. The country has officially legalized digital assets by Law on Digital Technology Industry by early 2026.
Vietnam pushes ahead with crypto regulation efforts
The statements lend support to the overall endeavors of the nation in regulating and recognizing crypto-related actions. However, Vietnam’s pro-crypto stance comes after a significant number of years spent adopting cryptocurrencies in an unregulated environment.
Earlier this year, Vietnamese authorities established a license process for local crypto trading platforms, thereby allowing regulated crypto exchanges to operate in the country.
The government’s crypto drive is just one piece of the broader national plan to expedite the growth of the digital economy. Vietnam’s objective is to make the digital economy generate at least 30 percent of GDP by 2030.
Policymakers have set a target that 80 percent of all transactions will be executed without any physical cash, with more than 40 percent of businesses engaging in innovative activities.
Sailing in the same boat, five Vietnamese companies reportedly advanced through the initial qualification round to launch the country’s first regulated cryptocurrency exchange in March.
The firms included affiliates linked to major private banks such as Techcombank, VPBank and LPBank, alongside VIX Securities and conglomerate Sun Group.
Regulators have also started laying out a taxation structure for digital assets. In February, Vietnam drafted a proposal that would tax cryptocurrency transactions similarly to traditional securities trading.
The scheme suggested a 0.1 percent tax on all crypto transactions conducted via the licensed service providers.
The suggested taxation scheme has been regarded as a move to enhance transparency and create a legal environment that would motivate the adoption of digital assets.
Even though the government has tried its best to regulate the crypto market in Vietnam, it still relies heavily on foreign exchanges like Binance, OKX, and Bybit.
Most investors in Vietnam still prefer using these overseas exchanges due to the availability of liquidity, products, and infrastructure.
Vietnam witnesses higher crypto adoption
Despite the drawbacks, the nation still stays amongst the most dynamic markets in regards to crypto adoption in the world. According to the Chainalysis Global Crypto Adoption Index 2025, Vietnam is ranked 4th in the world in relation to global cryptocurrency adoption, lagging behind India, the USA, and Pakistan.
Moreover, it has also emerged as one of the biggest crypto trading centers in Asia. Based on Chainalysis estimates, during the 12 months up until June 2025, Vietnam received close to $200 billion in on-chain value making it the third-biggest receiver in the world following India and South Korea.
As a measure to drive the use of regulated crypto platforms, the Vietnamese authorities have adopted a five-year pilot crypto scheme in September 2025. Under the scheme, all crypto transactions should be made using Vietnamese Dong via local firms.
Certainly, the above would be an important case study for the development of the regulated digital assets environment in the Vietnamese financial sector.
However, the success of the venture would allow the Vietnamese government to find the perfect equilibrium between encouraging innovations and investor security.