Bitcoin & Cryptocurrency Regulation in Greece

Yes, crypto is legal in Greece. Buying, holding, selling, and using Bitcoin and other crypto-assets is permitted for individuals and businesses, and there is no ban on ownership or trading.

What crypto is not is legal tender. Under EU rules the euro is the only legal tender in Greece, so no merchant is obliged to accept Bitcoin, and crypto is not issued or guaranteed by any central bank. Parties may, however, agree between themselves to use crypto as a means of exchange. The firms that provide crypto services to the public (exchanges, brokers, custodians) are now regulated as crypto-asset service providers under MiCA and Greek law. The practical takeaway: ownership is unrestricted, but the providers you deal with operate under licensing and anti-money-laundering rules. For background on how this fits the wider EU picture, see our crypto regulation overview.

Oversight is shared among three bodies, each with a defined role:

• Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) is the lead authority that authorises and supervises most crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) under MiCA and oversees market abuse. It also handled Greece's earlier anti-money-laundering registry of virtual asset service providers.
• Bank of Greece is competent for crypto-assets that function like electronic money or are issued by entities already under its prudential supervision, such as banks and payment or e-money institutions, and for issuers of asset-referenced tokens and e-money tokens.
• Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) handles taxation and the new crypto-asset tax-reporting regime.

Because a provider's authorisation status changes as it moves through licensing, always confirm a firm's standing on the HCMC's published registers before trusting it with funds. You can verify the regulators directly at Hellenic Capital Market Commission, Bank of Greece, and AADE.

The crypto rulebook in Greece rests on EU regulation plus national implementing law:

• MiCA (Regulation (EU) 2023/1114) is directly applicable across the EU. Its rules for crypto-asset service providers have applied since 30 December 2024, so the core requirements are the same in Greece as in other member states.
• Law 5193/2025, in force since April 2025, is the Greek law that supplements MiCA. It designates the HCMC and the Bank of Greece as competent authorities, sets out their supervisory and sanctioning powers, and provides for administrative penalties. It also amended the Greek anti-money-laundering Law 4557/2018 to bring CASPs within scope.
• Law 5301/2026 brought in crypto-asset tax-reporting rules, transposing the EU DAC8 directive and aligning with the OECD Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF). Reporting obligations apply from 1 January 2026.

Greece follows MiCA's categories (asset-referenced tokens, e-money tokens, and other crypto-assets) rather than a bespoke national definition. Because some of these provisions are recent and still being operationalised, check the official source for the current text before relying on a specific detail.

Under MiCA, firms offering services such as operating a trading platform, exchanging crypto for fiat or for other crypto, custody and administration, order execution, or advice generally need authorisation as a crypto-asset service provider. In Greece the applicant must typically be incorporated as a societe anonyme and obtain authorisation from the HCMC (or from the Bank of Greece where the entity is already under its supervision).

By a decision published in August 2025, the HCMC set out the application procedure: a preliminary assessment phase followed by a substantive evaluation, with a final decision targeted within roughly 40 business days of a complete application. The EU built in a transition (grandfathering) period for firms that already operated under prior national regimes. In Greece, previously registered virtual asset service providers could keep operating only if they applied for a MiCA CASP licence by 31 December 2025; after that date a MiCA authorisation is required. Authorised CASPs benefit from passporting, meaning a licence in one EU state allows services across the bloc. Always confirm a provider's current authorisation status on the HCMC register.

Greek crypto taxation is in transition, and it is important to be precise about what is and is not yet law.

• A dedicated 15% capital-gains tax on crypto profits is, as of mid-2026, a draft bill, not enacted law. The Ministry of National Economy and Finance has been preparing legislation expected to apply a flat 15% rate to gains from selling or disposing of crypto, with the first 500 euros of profit reported as exempt to spare small retail investors. Reuters and Greek outlets reported in June 2026 that the bill was still being drafted and was expected to be submitted to Parliament in the coming months. Until it passes and takes effect, treat the 15% figure as a proposal, not a settled rate.
• Until a dedicated regime is in force, the treatment of crypto gains has been unsettled. In practice, trading profits have generally been viewed as capital gains and mining or staking income as ordinary or business income on the progressive personal income tax scale (which runs from 9% up to 44%). However, AADE dispute rulings have at times declined to treat crypto sales as taxable income under the existing Income Tax Code (Law 4172/2013), and VAT treatment has not been fully settled, which is exactly why new legislation is being prepared.
• Reporting is tightening regardless. Under Law 5301/2026 (DAC8/CARF), crypto-asset service providers must collect and report user transaction data to AADE, with obligations applying from 1 January 2026 and information exchange building from there.

Because rates, thresholds, exemptions, and the precise treatment of specific transactions depend on whether and how the draft law is enacted and on your own circumstances (resident vs non-resident, individual vs business), this guide does not present any figure as definitive. Confirm the current rules and deadlines with AADE or a Greek accountant, and see our general crypto taxes guide. This section is informational only and is not tax advice.

Anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing duties apply across the board. Law 5193/2025 amended Greece's AML Law 4557/2018 so that crypto-asset service providers are treated as obliged financial institutions. That means CASPs must verify customer identity (KYC), monitor activity, keep records, and report suspicious transactions, and regulators can access those records to trace funds.

MiCA and the EU framework also effectively prohibit anonymous crypto accounts for regulated providers. The EU Transfer of Funds Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1113), which extends the FATF travel rule to crypto, applies directly: providers must collect and transmit information on the originator and beneficiary of crypto transfers, and apply enhanced scrutiny to transfers involving self-hosted (unhosted) wallets and to cross-border relationships. The HCMC and Bank of Greece have strengthened investigative and sanctioning powers to enforce these rules. In short, expect identity verification before you can trade or withdraw, and expect larger or cross-border transfers to attract additional checks.

Most people in Greece buy crypto through international and EU-based exchanges that serve the country. Because Greece uses the euro and sits in the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), funding an account by SEPA bank transfer is usually cheap and straightforward; cards work too but typically cost more.

A typical path for a resident looks like this:

• Choose a provider that is MiCA-authorised (or progressing through licensing) and serves Greece. Favour firms visible on the HCMC registers and compare fees, supported coins, payment methods, and security.
• Verify your identity by completing KYC with ID and any required proof of address. This is mandatory under AML rules.
• Fund the account with a SEPA transfer in euros for low cost, or a card for speed at higher fees. Greek banks may apply extra scrutiny to crypto-related transfers, so a payment can occasionally be queried or delayed.
• Place an order at market or with a limit, mindful of the spread and trading fee.
• Secure your coins by moving long-term holdings to a personal wallet (a hardware wallet offers the strongest self-custody) and keeping the recovery phrase offline.
• Keep records of buy and sell dates and amounts, which you will need to calculate and report any taxable gains.

Crypto ATMs (kiosks) also exist in Athens, Thessaloniki, and tourist areas, run by private operators, letting you buy and sometimes sell coins for cash via a wallet QR code. They are fast and convenient but fees and spreads are usually far higher than online exchanges, and identity checks often apply above small amounts.

Bitcoin mining is not prohibited in Greece, but there is no special mining licence regime that makes it uniquely easy. Miners operate as ordinary individuals or businesses and must observe general rules on company registration, electricity-supply contracts, taxation of the income produced, and any environmental or zoning requirements.

The dominant practical factor is electricity. Greek retail power prices sit among the higher tier in the EU, which squeezes mining margins versus low-cost jurisdictions and pushes serious operators toward cheaper or surplus energy. Greece's strong solar and wind resources are sometimes cited as an opportunity for sustainability-minded mining, but energy use and carbon footprint face growing scrutiny across the EU. On tax, mining income is generally treated as ordinary or business income rather than capital gains, with the value of mined coins typically recognised when received and a separate gain or loss when later sold. Anyone setting up an operation should get tailored advice on business registration, VAT, electricity contracts, and local permits, because these vary by scale and location.

The pace of change has been rapid:

• April 2025: Law 5193/2025 supplemented MiCA in Greek law, designating the HCMC and Bank of Greece as competent authorities. Greece was among the first EU states, and the first in Southern Europe, to complete this domestic transposition.
• July to August 2025: the HCMC published its decision setting out the CASP authorisation procedure, opening the formal licensing process.
• 31 December 2025: end of the grandfathering window. Pre-MiCA virtual asset service providers had to have applied for a CASP licence to keep operating.
• 1 January 2026: crypto-asset tax-reporting obligations under Law 5301/2026 (DAC8/CARF) began to apply, with provider reports to AADE expected from 2027.
• Mid-2026: the Ministry of Finance was reported to be drafting a dedicated 15% crypto capital-gains tax with a 500-euro exemption, expected to go to Parliament in the coming months. It was not yet enacted at the time of writing.

The direction of travel is toward consolidation and clarity: clearer supervisors, a formal licensing process, tighter reporting, and a tax regime moving from a grey zone toward defined rules.

Clearer rules reduce legal uncertainty but do not remove investment risk. The main risks for crypto users in Greece are:

• Market risk. Prices are volatile and can fall steeply; crypto is not covered by deposit-guarantee schemes.
• Platform and custody risk. Exchanges can be hacked, fail, or freeze withdrawals; self-custody shifts the risk to you losing your keys.
• Scams and fraud. Fake exchanges, impersonation, romance and investment scams, and guaranteed-return schemes are common; regulators warn consumers to be cautious.
• Regulatory and tax change. Rules, rates, and reporting duties are still settling under MiCA and the pending tax bill, so what is true this year may shift.

On the protection side, MiCA brings disclosure, governance, custody-segregation, and conduct requirements for authorised providers, and the HCMC and Bank of Greece can supervise and sanction firms. The strongest single safeguard you control is dealing only with authorised providers and treating crypto as a small, speculative slice of a diversified portfolio. Invest only what you can afford to lose.

Because this area is evolving, verify any specific point directly with the responsible authority rather than relying on summaries:

• Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) for CASP authorisation, registers, and MiCA supervision.
• Bank of Greece for e-money and asset-referenced tokens and supervised institutions.
• Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) for taxation and crypto tax-reporting rules.
• ESMA: Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) for the EU-level rulebook and the list of national competent authorities.

You can also compare jurisdictions on our regulation hub. To repeat the key caveat: this article is general information as of 2026 and is not legal, tax, or financial advice; the dedicated 15% crypto tax was still a draft bill at the time of writing, so confirm the current legal and tax position with the HCMC, the Bank of Greece, or AADE, and seek professional advice before acting.

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