Is crypto legal in Mexico?

Tax treatment

Activo virtual — a sui generis category defined by Ley Fintech Art. 30, taxed as general/other income under ISR rather than a distinct capital-gains crypto regime

Mexico has no crypto-specific tax law. SAT taxes crypto under general ISR (income tax) rules, triggered only on disposal (sale, swap, or payment) — simply holding is not taxed. Gains are added to the individual's cumulative annual income and taxed on the standard progressive ISR bracket table (roughly 1.92% to 35%).

Declared in the annual Declaración Anual (Personas Físicas) filed at sat.gob.mx, due April each year for the prior fiscal year. Starting 2026/2027, exchanges face new OECD Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) automatic-exchange-of-information obligations.

Can banks handle crypto here?

Banxico's Circular 4/2019 (as amended by Circular 37/2020) enforces a deliberate 'healthy distance' between banks/fintechs (ITFs) and virtual assets: ITFs may only use virtual assets Banxico has specifically authorized, and as of 2026 Banxico has not authorized any institution to offer crypto services to the public. Banks (BBVA, Banorte, Santander) do process SPEI transfers funding CNBV-authorized platforms like Bitso, but frequently block wires to foreign/offshore trading platforms.

Buying and selling crypto in Mexico

Bitso (CNBV-registered ITF, Banxico-supervised) is the dominant MXN on-ramp via SPEI bank transfer. Direct bank rails into offshore exchanges are unreliable and commonly blocked by the sending bank.

Authority sources used

Outbound links are included for verification and entity authority, not decoration. Every claim on this page traces back to one of these.

• Ley para Regular las Instituciones de Tecnología Financiera (Ley Fintech), Art. 30Cámara de Diputados (Mexican Congress)
• Ley para Regular las Instituciones de Tecnología Financiera (regulator copy)Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores (CNBV)
• DECRETO por el que se expide la Ley FintechDiario Oficial de la Federación (DOF)

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