With the Law on Digital Technology Industry taking effect on January 1, Vietnam will officially become the 46th country in the world to legalize crypto assets.
According to a report by the Atlantic Council, as of May 2025, a survey of 75 countries revealed that 45 nations have enacted legal frameworks or legislation recognizing the legality of crypto assets. In contrast, 20 countries have implemented partial bans, and 10 have issued total bans.
Notably, among the 45 countries that have legalized these assets, 12 are members of the G20, representing approximately 57% of global GDP. This trend underscores the significant interest developed economies have in fostering the crypto asset sector.
Speaking at the dialogue "Legal Path and Development Models for Vietnam's Digital Asset Market" organized by the Vietnam Economic Times/VnEconomy on January 26, Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Blockchain and Digital Assets Association (VBA), Nguyen Van Hien, confirmed that Vietnam will join this group as the 46th nation once the Law on Digital Technology Industry takes effect on January 1, 2026.
However, reality shows that Vietnam’s crypto asset market has developed at a much faster pace than the completion of its legal framework.
Data published by international organizations indicates that approximately 17 million Vietnamese people currently own crypto assets, with that number peaking at 21 million at certain points. As of 2025, Vietnam ranks among the top seven countries globally in terms of the number of crypto asset holders.
Vietnam also ranks in the top three in the Asia-Pacific region, particularly regarding capital inflows from the blockchain and crypto asset markets. In 2025 alone, the total value of this capital flow reached about $220 billion, doubling the average of the previous three years, which were $105 billion, $120 billion, and $110 billion, respectively.
Furthermore, Vietnam holds the top global position in a specific metric related to crypto capital: the percentage of young freelancers owning crypto assets. This figure currently stands at over 85%, ranking first among 85 surveyed countries.
While Vietnam currently lacks an official dataset published by domestic organizations, Ms. Hien expressed optimism for the future: “Once pilot models and trading floors are deployed in Vietnam, we will, for the first time, have a comprehensive and official data system regarding the number of Vietnamese people holding and owning crypto assets.”
Google translate