Kazakhstan’s central bank has signaled plans to place up to $300 million into crypto and crypto-linked assets, a move that would mark one of the clearest examples yet of a sovereign institution putting reserve money into this market. Based on reports, the funds would come from the country’s gold and foreign-exchange reserves rather than its social or oil wealth funds.

Central Bank Moves Cautiously

According to central bank briefings and market reporting, the investment will not be made all at once. Initial tranches could be modest — figures discussed publicly include amounts like $50 million and $100 million as possible early steps, with larger allocations of $250 million also on the table if conditions allow. The plan appears to be phased, with the bank watching price swings and market signals before committing major sums.

The assets under consideration may include direct holdings of crypto tokens or instruments linked to the crypto sector, such as exchange-traded products and equity stakes in companies that serve the industry. Based on reports, the central bank’s alternative investments arm, which already holds high-tech and financial assets, would manage the placement.

Investment Targets And Broader Plans

Reports have disclosed that this move sits alongside a wider push to create a national digital-asset reserve fund. Officials and informed sources have mentioned target sizes in the range of $500 million to $1 billion for that reserve. That proposed fund would focus more on ETFs and corporate equity than on simply holding tokens in wallets.

An existing state initiative, the Alem Crypto Fund, has already taken public steps into the market. In September 2025 the fund made an investment in the cryptocurrency BNB, signaling that parts of the state apparatus are experimenting with exposure to digital assets. That action is being watched closely by both domestic policymakers and foreign observers.

Risks And Safeguards

The central bank has stressed caution. Large price swings in major tokens have been noted as a reason to phase investments slowly. The proposed $300 million allocation, according to briefings, would be drawn from non-essential reserves — explicitly kept separate from Kazakhstan’s National Fund that pays for public programs — which is meant to protect social spending from market losses.

Some of the purchases, reports suggest, could be executed through regulated financial products rather than raw token buys, lowering custody and liquidity risks. The decision to structure the program in stages is intended to reduce the chance of a sudden, large loss if markets move against the holdings.

Featured image from kursiv.media, chart from TradingView

Kazakhstan’s central bank is preparing to invest up to $300 million in crypto assets, though the final allocation could range between $50 million and $250 million, depending on market conditions.

According to RBC, National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) Chairman Timur Suleimenov announced the initiative would draw from the bank’s foreign exchange reserves rather than the country’s sovereign wealth fund, while cautioning that recent crypto market volatility requires a measured approach before committing capital.

The announcement comes as Bitcoin has declined 17% since early November, dropping from $110,000 to $81,000 and wiping $500 billion from total crypto market capitalization.

Suleimenov told reporters the bank would “let the dust settle” before making investment decisions. He emphasized the difficulty of achieving profitability amid the sharp downturn.

Central Bank Adopts Cautious Stance on Digital Asset Exposure

The NBK has already established an investment portfolio containing high-tech stocks and financial instruments linked to digital assets within its gold and foreign exchange reserves.

Despite having frameworks in place, Suleimenov stressed the regulator would not rush deployment until favorable opportunities emerge.

“Until good investment opportunities emerge, we won’t rush these decisions,” Suleimenov said at a November 28 briefing.

The chairman had previously told Bloomberg in early November that Kazakhstan planned to create a national crypto fund worth up to $1 billion, clarifying the bank would invest “cautiously” through exchange-traded funds and crypto company stocks rather than direct token holdings.

This measured approach contrasts with the broader ambitions articulated by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who directed the creation of a state-backed crypto reserve fund through the National Bank’s Investment Corporation.

The president called for accumulating strategic reserves of “promising assets” and announced up to $1 billion in funding for technological growth programs spanning high-tech and fintech sectors.

Kazakhstan Builds Multi-Layered Crypto Infrastructure

The central bank’s investment plans build on Kazakhstan’s rapidly expanding digital asset ecosystem, which launched its first national crypto reserve in September through the Alem Crypto Fund.

Established by the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development and managed by Qazaqstan Venture Group, the fund selected BNB as its initial holding through a strategic partnership with Binance Kazakhstan.

Deputy Prime Minister Zhaslan Madiyev described the fund as designed to become “a reliable instrument for major investors and a key foundation for digital state reserves.“

TLDR: Kazakhstan buys #BNB

Kazakhstan "national" crypto reserve – Alem Crypto Fund – buys #BNB for long-term holding.
https://t.co/ZbLNbuLvpG

(Photo from 2022, new photo coming soon…) pic.twitter.com/2aoz33e328

— CZ BNB (@cz_binance) September 29, 2025

BNB currently has a market capitalization exceeding $120 billion and serves as the native cryptocurrency of BNB Chain for processing transactions, paying network fees, and participating in governance.

Kazakhstan approved stablecoin payments for regulatory fees in September during Astana Finance Days, with the Astana Financial Services Authority establishing a framework allowing participants to settle fees in U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins through licensed Digital Asset Service Providers.

The country also launched Central Asia’s first spot Bitcoin ETF in August, with the physically-backed Fonte Bitcoin ETF trading on the Astana International Exchange, using BitGo Trust for cold storage.

Enforcement Actions Target Illegal Operations Amid Expansion

While advancing institutional crypto adoption, Kazakhstan has intensified crackdowns on unlicensed operations, shutting down 130 illegal crypto exchanges in October and seizing $16.7 million in virtual assets suspected of laundering criminal proceeds.

Authorities uncovered 81 shadow cash-out groups with a combined turnover reaching 24 billion KZT ($43 million) in 2024.

The enforcement actions follow Kazakhstan’s evolution from controlling 27% of global Bitcoin mining in 2021 after Chinese operations relocated, to just 4% by 2023 following grid strain and regulatory adjustments.

Kazakhstan Seizes $16.7M from Unlicensed Crypto Exchanges, Shuts Down 130 Platforms

Kazakhstan has shut down 130 illegal crypto exchanges suspected of laundering criminal proceeds and seized virtual assets worth $16.7 million.https://t.co/WVKmsTRmf9 pic.twitter.com/aY75nl0eSJ

— Cryptonews.com (@cryptonews) October 8, 2025

As of September, the country has registered 415,000 mining machines, issued 84 licenses (64 active), and launched the “70/30 project,” in which foreign investors fund power station upgrades.

During the same period, President Tokayev announced “CryptoCity” in Alatau as a pilot zone for everyday crypto payments, featuring a crypto banking system providing exchange, storage, and transaction processing services while supporting anti-money laundering compliance.

The digital tenge, the central bank’s digital currency, remains scheduled for full rollout by the end of this year as a third form of currency alongside cash and non-cash payments. However, the rollout remains uncertain this year.

The post National Bank of Kazakhstan Plans Up to $300M Crypto Investment appeared first on Cryptonews.

Digital asset adoption continues to grow after Turkmenistan announced plans to legally accommodate cryptocurrency operations from 2026. Following this move, the Central Asian nation joins the expanding list of countries opting for regulation in the crypto industry against an outright ban.

Turkmenistan Explores Crypto Amid Economy Diversification 

On Friday, Reuters reported that President Serdar Berdymukhamedov of Turkmenistan signed a new law that will permit registration of crypto exchanges and crypto mining companies from January 1, 2026. 

Notably, this development appears to represent part of the state government’s recent efforts to diversify its economy beyond gas exports, following Turkmenistan’s status as the nation with fourth fourth-largest gas reserves. Reuters also confirmed the government’s motive behind its new regulation, stating an intent to drive investment and speed up digitalization. 

While there are no official data on the level of crypto ownership in Turkmenistan, citizens’ ability to purchase digital assets using credit/debit cards, as well as the existence of Bitcoin ATMs, indicate significant traction requiring legalization. In particular, local Kyrgyzstan media states the new regulations signed by President Berdymukhamedov assert the legal status of cryptocurrencies as civil assets but with no economic power to serve as currency or means of payment. 

Furthermore, all licensed crypto exchanges are mandated to ensure the protection of users’ data and deposits. Meanwhile, mining operations can be performed by both individuals and local businesses following approval and registration with the recognized state authority. Other aspects of Turkmenistan’s crypto regime cover specific definitions of terms, and operations center around offering, transfer, issuance, and storage.

Crypto Adoption Surges In Central Asia

Beyond Turkmenistan, other nations in Central Asia, including Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, are also ramping up crypto regulatory efforts to create an enabling environment for digital assets adoption. Notably, Uzbekistan has completed legal preparations to formally adopt stablecoins for payments in 2026, while also permitting the trading of tokenized stocks on licensed exchanges. 

Meanwhile, Bitcoinist reported that Kazakhstan has recently allocated $500 million – $1 billion for a national reserve fund with a potential launch slated for 2026. In addition, the former soviet state also introduced a national stablecoin, KZTx, in collaboration with the world’s biggest exchange, Binance. 

Taken together, these crypto-friendly moves show that Central Asian nations are doubling down on blockchain and digital assets as an emerging pillar of the global financial sector. 

According to data from CoinMarketCap, the total crypto market cap is now valued at $3.05 trillion following a modest rebound in the last week after an extended correction that began in early October. 

Kazakhstan Paramount Engineering and WSE LLP, part of the Barys Dynamics group, conducted a full-scale demonstration of the new “Terrex – Barys A” amphibious armored vehicle on November 14, 2025, showcasing its firepower, mobility, and domestic weapons integration. The live demonstration took place at the Bereg training center on the banks of the Ili River […]

Today all that’s left of the ancient city of Semiyarka are a few low earthen mounds and some scattered artifacts, nearly hidden beneath the waving grasses of the Kazakh Steppe, a vast swath of grassland that stretches across northern Kazakhstan and into Russia. But recent surveys and excavations reveal that 3,500 years ago, this empty plain was a bustling city with a thriving metalworking industry, where nomadic herders and traders might have mingled with settled metalworkers and merchants.

Radivojevic and Lawrence stand on the site of Semiyarka. Credit: Peter J. Brown

Welcome to the City of Seven Ravines

University College of London archaeologist Miljana Radivojevic and her colleagues recently mapped the site with drones and geophysical surveys (like ground-penetrating radar, for example), tracing the layout of a 140-hectare city on the steppe in what’s now Kazakhstan.

The Bronze Age city once boasted rows of houses built on earthworks, a large central building, and a neighborhood of workshops where artisans smelted and cast bronze. From its windswept promontory, it held a commanding view of a narrow point in the Irtysh River valley, a strategic location that may have offered the city “control over movement along the river and valley bottom,” according to Radivojevic and her colleagues. That view inspired archaeologists’ name for the city: Semiyarka, or City of Seven Ravines.

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© Radivojevic et al. 2025

Bitcoin Magazine

Kazakhstan Plans $1 Billion National Bitcoin and Crypto Reserve Fund

Kazakhstan is preparing to establish a national cryptocurrency reserve fund worth between $500 million and $1 billion, a landmark step that could make the Central Asian nation one of the first to integrate digital assets into its sovereign wealth strategy.

The fund will be seeded with assets seized or repatriated from abroad, along with proceeds from state-backed bitcoin mining operations. 

Central bank governor Timur Suleimenov said in London this week that the fund will invest “very carefully” through regulated instruments such as exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and shares of companies involved in digital finance, rather than holding cryptocurrencies like bitcoin directly.

The initiative, slated for launch by early 2026, represents Kazakhstan’s most concrete move yet to institutionalize its crypto strategy after years of experimenting with mining and tightening control over private operators. 

Officials said the program will be managed under the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) — the country’s fintech hub — and may eventually include foreign investment partners.

JUST IN: Kazakhstan to launch $1 billion crypto reserve fund using seized assets by 2026: Bloomberg pic.twitter.com/Mg9ylWTtst

— Bitcoin Magazine (@BitcoinMagazine) November 7, 2025

Kazakhstan’s plan to turn seized assets into strategic capital

Plans for a state-run crypto fund first surfaced in 2024, when the country’s Agency for Financial Monitoring proposed consolidating confiscated wallets and mined tokens into a national reserve. 

The goal, according to officials, was to “repurpose illicitly obtained digital assets” to strengthen Kazakhstan’s economic sovereignty.

By transforming seized or idle crypto holdings into a structured investment pool, Kazakhstan aims to turn what was once a compliance challenge into a source of growth and diversification. 

The model echoes similar efforts in the U.S. and Europe, where seized crypto has increasingly been managed through regulated channels.

The U.S.’s crypto reserve, created under a March 2025 executive order, serves as a strategic stockpile of government-owned digital assets — mainly Bitcoin — acquired through forfeiture proceedings. 

Rather than purchasing new cryptocurrencies with taxpayer funds, the initiative focuses on managing these existing holdings to support national interests and strengthen America’s leadership in the digital asset space. 

A push beyond oil

For decades, Kazakhstan’s economy has relied heavily on oil exports, leaving it vulnerable to commodity cycles. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has championed economic reforms to reduce that dependence and push the nation toward technology, innovation, and digital finance.

The crypto reserve fund aligns with that vision. By focusing on ETFs and blockchain-linked equities, the central bank hopes to gain exposure to bitcoin’s upside while avoiding the custodial and volatility risks of holding tokens outright.

The fund also dovetails with broader ambitions to turn Kazakhstan into Central Asia’s leading fintech center. The government’s flagship “Alatau CryptoCity” project — envisioned as a testing ground for blockchain startups and crypto-based payments — will complement the reserve fund.

This post Kazakhstan Plans $1 Billion National Bitcoin and Crypto Reserve Fund first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.