Kazakhstan launches a billion-dollar crypto fund with seized assets

Kazakhstan no longer wants to be just a spectator. Far behind the crypto pioneers, this Central Asian country is picking up speed. With determination, it is laying the bricks of a new financial strategy. Its weapon: crypto. Not to speculate, but to create a sovereign fund. A way to transform confiscated assets into growth tools. The goal is clear: modernize the economy and reduce dependence on oil.

Kazakh crypto fund: when illegality becomes a state lever

Kazakhstan is striking hard. A national crypto fund, between 500 million and 1 billion dollars, will be established by 2026. The state does not intend to pile up bitcoins as reserves. It aims more at investments via crypto ETFs and shares of companies in the sector. The idea: secure exposure without suffering market shocks.

This fund will be fueled by seized assets — including 16.7 million dollars just in 2024 — and state mining revenues. A clever reappropriation, while the country has shut down 130 illegal platforms and 81 money laundering networks.

The fund will be managed under the banner of the AIFC, the national financial hub. A structure already known for attracting blockchain giants and underpinning local regulation. By choosing this route, Kazakhstan wants to turn a gray area into a strategic lever. The state no longer plays defense; it moves its pieces forward.

From black gold to digital gold: a post-oil vision

For years, Kazakhstan lived at the pace of the barrel. But now is the time for a digital shift. To escape oil dependence, the country is now betting on the crypto market . Central bank officials even see it as a future pillar of national reserves.

That doesn’t mean rushing headlong. The fund avoids direct crypto holdings. It prefers regulated and audited vehicles. A logic modeled on the great sovereign funds of the North, with a Kazakh touch on top.

And it’s not a copy-paste. Kazakhstan wants to attract foreign partners. Thanks to the AIFC, it combines modernity and regulatory seriousness. Result: an image of a crypto stronghold in Central Asia.

Behind this strategy lies a clear ambition: to position itself as a credible player, where others are still groping.

Web3, regulation, and ambitions: the real cards of Kazakhstan crypto

The state fund is only a fraction of a much broader strategy. In 2025, the country launched CryptoCity, a large-scale lab where crypto payments are tested in the Alatau zone. Objective: to simulate the economy of tomorrow.

Kazakhstan does not stop there. It created the Solana Economic Zone, the first Web3 zone in Central Asia. An initiative tailored for blockchain startups, supported by educational programs in Rust and cybersecurity.

Meanwhile, regulation is intensifying. Monitoring of ATMs, blocking of 3,500 illegal sites, and dismantling of mafia networks: the country combines innovation and control with method.

By the numbers, Kazakhstan’s crypto turning point

• 1 billion $: maximum target of the state crypto fund by 2026;
• 16.7 million $: crypto seized in 2024 by the Surveillance Agency;
• CryptoCity: pilot city where crypto payments are tested in 2025;
• Solana Zone: first official Web3 zone in the region;
• 3,600 shell companies: dissolved for money laundering over the last 3 years.

Transforming the illegal into innovation is Kazakhstan’s bold bet. And it doesn’t stop there: its central bank has now crossed another milestone. It is working on launching a national stablecoin backed by the Solana blockchain , laying the groundwork for a future digital monetary system. More than just catching up, it is a real ascent.