Several Kazakh banks launch crypto-linked payment cards
ASTANA. June 5 (Interfax) - Five banks in Kazakhstan have joined the National Bank's pilot project to launch crypto cards, National Bank governor Timur Suleimenov said.
The participating banks are Halyk Bank, Forte, Freedom, RBK and Altyn.
Suleimenov unveiled the initiative during a briefing on Thursday, saying that "these banks are prominent and active financial institutions in the country." "Through their crypto cards, users with cryptocurrency wallets on exchanges such as Binance or other platforms registered with the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) can instantly transfer and pay for goods and services across Kazakhstan," he said.
Kazakhstan's cryptocurrency card initiative remains entirely voluntary for banks, Suleimenov said, describing the program as a commercial opportunity.
"We proposed the framework, banks supported it. Any financial institution seeing profitability in crypto-fiat transactions may join. It's a business-driven initiative. There's absolutely no pressure from our side," he said.
The central bank chief declined to specify if crypto cards are immediately available to customers. "To my knowledge, internal decisions are finalized at each bank, and implementations are technically prepared. I'm personally curious to test the process," he said.
The remarks follow Kazakhstan's parallel moves to license domestic crypto exchanges under National Bank supervision, while maintaining separate regulations for Astana International Financial Center (AIFC)-registered platforms. Authorities emphasize interoperability between exchange providers and AIFC crypto exchanges to create unified digital market infrastructure.
The National Bank's crypto card project links to wallets on crypto exchanges within the AIFC, enabling online and terminal payments as well as cash withdrawals.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered the rapid development of infrastructure for legal digital asset circulation in Kazakhstan, aiming to bring cryptocurrency investors into the regulated economy, government officials confirmed Thursday.
The initiative forms part of Kazakhstan's strategy to become a regional leader in digital technologies and regulated cryptocurrency mining. The Astana International Financial Center (AIFC), a special economic zone with preferential tax and visa policies, has served as the testing ground for these efforts since implementing a tokenized securities framework in 2024.
Eleven cryptocurrency exchanges currently operate under AIFC jurisdiction as of June 2025, including WhiteBIT Kazakhstan Ltd., Cronex Ltd. (formerly Onyx), Neyco Ltd., Swiftex.io Limited, Bigone Investment Ltd., Top Line Limited, Intebix Ltd. (formerly Biteeu Eurasia Ltd.), ATAIX Eurasia Ltd., Delta DA Ltd., BN KZ Technologies Limited and Bybit Limited.
