Digital Assets Forum Colombia: What to expect for crypto regulations in Colombia and Latin America?

Recognized figures of the crypto ecosystem in Latin America discussed the state of the crypto regulations in the initial conversation of the Digital Assets Forum Colombia 2025, event that took place this week in the city of Bogotá.

***

• The current state and perspectives for crypto regulations in Brazil and Colombia were addressed.
• Brazil recognizes crypto legality and advances with laws inspired by its own reality.
• Colombia is stopped due to lack of institutional alignment, but there are legislative advances on its way.
  
• UU. It will mark the pattern to follow for Colombia, while Brazil regulates based on its own needs.

The city of Bogotá host this week of the Digital Assets Forum Colombia 2025an event that brought together Latin American figures in the sector Blockchain and cryptocurrencies. The day, organized by Digital Assets Hubhad as its central axis the discussion about the current state of regulations and business models on digital assets in Latin America.

One of the most prominent moments of the event was the Opening Conference, focused on the regulatory state for cryptocurrencies in Colombia and Latin America. Juan Camilo Pryor participated in this talk (Stealth) and Pellini Fonseca (DCGG), in moderation of Mauricio Tovar (Tropykus). The speakers offered a comparative analysis among their countries of origin, and addressed the repercussions of the international context in the development of laws at the local level.

The Brazilian experience: advances from the Central Bank

Fonseca opened the conversation highlighting the Brazilian process as one of the most structured in the region. He clarified that the legality of operating with cryptocurrencies in Brazil did not start with the payment system Pix, It was the result of previous initiatives backed by the Central Bank.

Currently, Brazil has a framework that allows you to legally operate with cryptoactive, and new regulations are being defined for the second semester of 2025. According to Fonseca, these laws are based on a framework law for cryptoactive ones, which has served as a basis for other complementary proposals.

Cooperation with Colombia and Ecuador also highlighted at the central banks level, where they share regulatory information and strategies to face common challenges.

Colombia: institutional uncoordination and the urgency of advancing

Pryor, on the other hand, explained that in Colombia it is not illegal to operate with cryptocurrencies. However, there are old forgotten provisions and lack of alignment between key entities, such as Financial Superintendence and the Congress of the Republic.

There are currently two bills under discussion. Both are inspired by the recommendations of the GAFI (International Financial Action Group) and seek to establish transparency in the identification of those who operate with digital assets, at least through a formal record. Although the exchanges partially comply with these measures, the industry in general remains outside the regulatory framework.

One of the projects also involves Financial Superintendence as a supervisory entity of crypto entities. However, according to Pryor, the problem is that not all institutions are aligned, which limits the country’s ability to compete internationally, as in the case of Wenia, Exchange associated with Bancolombia Group which has its main headquarters in Bermuda, where there is greater legal and regulatory clarity.

United States influence and regional challenge

The conversation also addressed the impact of American regulation in Latin America, especially at the rate of the new regulatory initiatives advanced in legislative chambers. Fonseca said that Brazil has chosen not to follow foreign models, but to focus on its own needs and characteristics of the local market, such as the high bank concentration and the boom of the stablcoins.

Colombia, in contrast, has adopted a more passive attitude, waiting for other countries to mark the way. This perspective has delayed regulatory development, especially if compared to the progress of financial institutions in the US, whose projects have been evolved for years.

Tovar stressed that in the light of this panorama, Colombia will most likely accelerate its regulatory processes if you want to stay competitive and guarantee legal certainty to ecosystem companies, especially once it is. UU. Mark the pattern.

The stigma of money laundering and the role of traceability

An issue that arose strongly was the negative perception of cryptocurrencies as vehicles for money laundering. In Brazil, Official investigations determined that this association is unjustified. In fact, the available traceability tools make the use of crypt for these purposes not very effective.

In Colombia, several banking groups have begun to recognize this reality. Data from Chainysis They indicate that less than 0.2% of crypto operations are related to money laundering. Therefore, for Pryor the sophistication of existing tracking mechanisms makes it against all logic to use digital assets for these purposes: “The one who wash silver with crypto is gross” He alleged, citing the words of a recognized local figure,

Towards a coordinated future in Latin America

The consensus among experts is clear: Latin America needs to move towards consistent regulatory frameworks and adapted to local realities. However, This will only be possible if responsible institutions work in a coordinated and long -term vision.

Brazil has shown that it is possible to build policies from the inside, while Colombia faces the challenge of leaving institutional paralysis. Time is a critical factor: If the region does not accelerate its steps, it runs the risk of lagging in an increasingly competitive market.

Angel Di Matteo / article Diariobitcoin

Image of Diariobitcoin

WARNING: Diariobitcoin offers informative and educational content on various topics, including cryptocurrencies, AI, technology and regulations. We do not provide financial advice. Cryptactive investments are high risk and may not be adequate for all. Investigate, consult an expert and verify the applicable legislation before investing. I could lose all its capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter