Crypto in Argentina: PSAV Rules, Taxes and the $LIBRA Case (2026)

Last updated: October 29, 2026. By Mbatia Muitungu.

Not financial, tax or legal advice: This is general education based on official Argentine and US sources as of the date above. Rules change. Crypto is volatile and you can lose all of it. For decisions about your own taxes or business, talk to a qualified professional in the country concerned.

Any company that exchanges, transfers or holds crypto for customers in Argentina has to be listed in the Registro de PSAV run by the Comisión Nacional de Valores (CNV) before it starts operating. That rule comes from Law 27.739, passed in March 2024, and the current version of the registry rules, CNV General Resolution 1058/2025, took effect on May 26, 2025. This page covers what that means for you, how crypto is taxed in Argentina, how to check a platform, and where the $LIBRA case stands.

Key takeaways

• Argentina’s crypto platforms are called PSAV (proveedores de servicios de activos virtuales). They must register with the CNV before operating.
• You can check any platform yourself on the CNV’s public PSAV registry. Registration is a regulatory filing, not a guarantee that a platform is safe.
• For individuals, ARCA (the tax agency that replaced AFIP) taxes crypto sale gains at 5% or 15% depending on the currency and source, and crypto counts toward the Bienes Personales wealth tax.
• On October 23, 2026, a federal judge dismissed the $LIBRA case against President Javier Milei and others. Investors have appealed, so the case is not closed for good.
• US citizens and residents who use Argentine platforms still report those gains on their US return.

What is a PSAV?

PSAV is the Argentine legal term for a virtual asset service provider. Law 27.739 added the definition to Argentina’s anti-money-laundering law (Law 25.246, article 4 bis) and named the CNV, the national securities regulator, as the agency that keeps the register.

Under RG 1058/2025, a registrant picks one or more activity categories. Two of them matter most to everyday users:

• Category 1: exchanging crypto for pesos, dollars or other legal currency.
• Category 2: exchanging one crypto asset for another.

The other categories cover transferring crypto, custody (holding crypto or keys for customers) and services linked to someone else’s token offering. Individuals who register can only use categories 1 and 2. Companies can register for all of them.

The resolution also sets minimum net worth requirements. According to the text published on argentina.gob.ar, a registrant needs at least US$150,000 for categories 1, 2 and 4, US$75,000 for category 3 and US$35,000 for category 5. The requirement is cut in half for providers whose relevant volume over the past 12 months is under US$2.5 million. Since May 26, 2025, applications and cancellations go through the government’s TAD online filing system only.

Which big exchanges are registered?

The official list is the CNV PSAV registry. A third-party copy of that list kept by VASP Tracker, checked on October 29, 2026, shows these well-known names and registration dates:

• Binance (Binance Services Latinoamérica S.A. de C.V.): September 11, 2024
• Coinbase (Coinbase Bermuda Services Limited): January 24, 2025
• Kraken (Payward Trading Ltd.): May 9, 2025
• Lemon Cash (Bay Treasure Caramel S.A.): November 7, 2025
• Bitso (The Badger Technology Company Argentina S.A.U.): March 18, 2026

Treat the third-party copy as a starting point. Confirm any platform on the CNV’s own site before you deposit money.

How to check a platform before you use it

1. Open the CNV PSAV registry or the CNV’s general company search.
2. Search for the platform’s legal company name, not only the app name. The app name and legal name are often different (Lemon Cash is listed under Bay Treasure Caramel S.A., for example).
3. Check that the registered categories match what you plan to do. A company registered only for transfers should not be offering you peso-to-crypto trades.
4. Compare the CUIT (tax ID) in the registry with the one in the platform’s terms of service or website footer.
5. If a “platform” reaches you through WhatsApp, Telegram or social media and you can’t find it in the registry, don’t send money.

Registration means the company filed the required information with the regulator. It does not mean the CNV guarantees your deposits or vouches for the business.

How Argentina taxes crypto for individuals

ARCA (Agencia de Recaudación y Control Aduanero, formerly AFIP) explains the rules on its crypto pages. For an individual who is not running a business:

• Gains from selling crypto are “second category” income under the income tax law (article 98).
• Argentine-source gains are taxed at 5% when the sale is in pesos without an adjustment clause, and at 15% when the sale is in foreign currency or in pesos with an adjustment clause.
• Foreign-source gains are taxed at 15% in all cases.
• You can subtract your purchase cost, related expenses and the special deduction in article 100 before the rate applies.

Crypto also counts toward Bienes Personales, the annual personal assets tax. ARCA’s guidance, based on its 2022 opinion (Dictamen 2/2022), says crypto is valued at its acquisition cost as of December 31 each year.

A simple example

Using ARCA’s own worked example: an individual sells crypto for ARS 1,800,000 that cost ARS 1,001,500 including expenses. After the article 100 special deduction, the taxable amount in ARCA’s example is ARS 346,816.81. At the 5% peso rate, the tax is ARS 17,340.84. If the same sale were taxed at 15%, the tax would be ARS 52,022.52. The deduction amount changes every year, so check ARCA’s current figures for your own return.

The $LIBRA case: where it stands

In February 2025, President Javier Milei posted on X about a newly launched token called $LIBRA, saying it would help fund small businesses. The price jumped, Milei deleted the post within hours, and the token’s value collapsed, leaving most buyers with heavy losses, as the BBC reported.

On October 23, 2026, federal judge Marcelo Martínez de Giorgi dismissed the case against Milei, his sister Karina Milei and others, one day after prosecutor Eduardo Taiano asked for the dismissal, La Nación reported. The judge said the reported facts did not fit a criminal offense, according to the BBC. Investors filed appeals within days, Infobae and La Nación reported on October 27 and 28, 2026. Milei has denied promoting the token and said he acted in good faith.

For you, the takeaway is not about politics. A token that a famous person shares can still collapse within hours. A celebrity post is not research.

If you’re a US person using Argentine platforms

The IRS taxes US citizens and resident aliens on their worldwide income, wherever they live. Gains on an Argentine exchange go on your US return the same way as gains on Coinbase, even if you never get a US tax form for them. Our US crypto tax guide walks through Form 8949, Schedule D and record-keeping. If you also owe Argentine tax on the same gain, ask a cross-border tax professional about the foreign tax credit.

FAQ

Is crypto legal in Argentina?

Yes. Buying, holding and selling crypto is legal. The 2024 law regulates the businesses that provide crypto services, not individuals who hold coins.

Is the CNV registration a license?

It is a mandatory registration with requirements for capital, anti-money-laundering controls and information filings. It is not a deposit guarantee. Check the registry, then judge the platform’s track record and fees yourself.

Do I pay tax if I only buy and hold?

ARCA taxes the gain when you sell (dispose of) crypto. Holdings can still count toward Bienes Personales at year-end, depending on your total assets and the current exemption threshold.

Where can I report a suspicious crypto platform in Argentina?

The CNV publishes contact channels for complaints on its website. If you are in the US, you can also report crypto fraud to the FBI at ic3.gov.

Sources

Checked October 29, 2026:

• Argentine law: Law 27.739 (anti-money-laundering reform that created the PSAV regime)
• CNV regulation: CNV General Resolution 1058/2025 (full text)
• CNV guidance: CNV: PSAV registry filing through TAD since May 26, 2025
• Official registry: CNV public registry of PSAV
• Third-party registry copy: VASP Tracker: Argentina crypto regulation timeline
• Argentine tax agency: ARCA: Income tax on crypto assets
• Argentine tax agency: ARCA: Bienes Personales and crypto assets
• News (LIBRA case): BBC: Argentina drops investigation into Milei over crypto fraud
• News (LIBRA case): La Nación: Martínez de Giorgi closed the $LIBRA case one day after the prosecutor’s request
• News (LIBRA appeal): Infobae: $LIBRA investors appeal the dismissal
• US tax: IRS: US citizens and resident aliens abroad

This article is for general information only and is not financial, tax or legal advice. The author is not a lawyer, accountant or tax professional.