The world's most crypto-friendly countries for investors

Global Citizen Solutions (GCS), an advisory firm in investment migration has released its 2024 Global Report on the Best Jurisdictions for Crypto investors, a data-driven study and analysis on the global landscape for cryptocurrency investment and adoption.

The report assesses 75 countries based on 13 key indicators—including regulatory environment, economics, tech and innovation, and green transition and governance — to determine the most progressive and advantageous environments for crypto investors.

The top 10 best crypto-friendly countries, according to Global Citizen Solutions are:

 Global Citizen Solutions methodology, created by lead researcher at Global Intelligence Unit (GIU), Dr. Laura Madrid combines publicly available data from different sources, including the 2023 Crypto Adoption Index from Chain Analysis, the National Cyber Security Index, the Energy Transition Index from the World Economic Forum, the Cost to Mine Bitcoin from Visual Capitalist, and the Chandler Economic Index for assessing the level of bureaucracy.

The top crypto-friendly countries in this ranking combine progressive regulations, green energy, and blockchain innovation.

"As wealth shifts to younger generations, the demand for principled crypto investments and clear regulations is rising. To address the energy-intensive nature of crypto mining, for instance, we at the Global Intelligence Unit have introduced a Green Transformation indicator to assess countries' sustainability efforts." said Dr. Laura Madrid. "This report offers valuable insights for investors, clients and policymakers seeking crypto-friendly environments worldwide."

Global Crypto-Friendly Nations Report Key Findings:

The analysis ranking the top 75 countries for crypto friendliness reveals strong regional differences, with Europe emerging as a global hub for crypto-friendly policies, highlighting the continent’s progressive approach to cryptocurrency regulation and adoption.

Eight of the top ten countries are European, with Switzerland and Liechtenstein offering especially favorable tax regimes that exempt cryptocurrency gains.

Singapore and the UAE - rank highly, driven by 0% crypto taxes and robust support for blockchain innovation.

Latin America and crypto adoption – Latin America is making strides, with Chile, Brazil and El Salvador rapidly improving legislation, exchange availability and infrastructure. For crypto investors, Brazil is climbing the ranks, holding the 6th position for having the most crypto investors in the world, while El Salvador has made Bitcoin a legal tender.

Emerging markets - While the US stands as one of the largest and most developed crypto markets, countries like China, India, Nigeria, and Vietnam, despite also having high adoption rates, need to significantly improve their regulatory frameworks and infrastructure to become truly crypto-friendly.

Jurisdictions - Overall, 76% of assessed countries allow crypto investing. But 23% have bans, impacting 15% of High-Net-Worth Individuals worldwide. China, in particular, remains one of the few countries in the analysis that still imposes a total ban on crypto mining, usage, and exchange, which may be driving Chinese investors to seek fiscal residence in more favorable jurisdictions like Hong Kong, Singapore, the UAE, and Portugal. The analysis provides a blueprint for nations aiming to attract and effectively support crypto investors.

Green energy - The report highlights the alignment between energy transition and crypto-friendly policies. 13 of the top 20 countries also rank highly for renewable energy progress, emphasizing the importance of sustainability.

“This third installment of the Global Intelligence Unit Global report highlights a clear correlation between crypto-friendly countries and investment migration, with 80% of the 75 countries hosting investment migration schemes. Notably, El Salvador is the only country that accepts Bitcoin as an investment option for its immigration scheme, highlighting its pioneering approach to integrating cryptocurrency into national policies.” said Patricia Casaburi, chief executive officer at Global Citizen Solutions.

Overall, the report underscores the need for sensible regulations and investment in robust infrastructure to unlock cryptocurrency's potential for ethical investment and sustainable growth. By revealing the most progressive countries, it offers investors and stakeholders a guide to the regions leading the way.