The Ministry of Finance proposes taxing cryptocurrencies like stocks.
Vietnam‘s Ministry of Finance has proposed a new tax framework for cryptocurrency transactions that would equate digital assets to securities trading. According to a policy draft released for public consultation and reported by The Hanoi Times, individuals transferring crypto through authorized service providers would pay a 0.1% tax on the value of each transaction.
The tax structure mirrors that currently applied to stock transactions in the country. According to the document, the draft classifies crypto transfers and trading as exempt from VAT, but the 0.1% tax would apply to investors regardless of their residency status whenever a transfer is executed.
Companies operating in Vietnam would be taxed differently. Institutional investors earning from crypto transfers would be subject to a 20% corporate income tax, calculated on profits after deducting purchase costs and related expenses. Authorities have also provided a formal definition of crypto assets, describing them as digital assets that rely on cryptographic or similar technologies for issuance, storage, and verification of transfers.
The draft outlines stringent requirements for industry operators. Companies wishing to operate a digital asset exchange would need at least 10 trillion Vietnamese dong (approximately $408 million) in share capital, a threshold higher than that required for commercial banks. Foreign ownership would be allowed but limited to 49% of the exchange’s capital.
The proposed rules come as Vietnam has begun a five-year pilot program for a regulated crypto asset market launched in September 2025. On October 6, 2025, the Ministry of Finance confirmed that no company had applied to participate in the crypto pilot, citing high capital requirements. In January 2026, the country began accepting applications for licenses to operate digital asset trading platforms.
