Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek announced to the public a comprehensive regulatory package to prevent the laundering of proceeds from illegal betting and fraudulent activities through crypto assets. In a statement he made on his social media account on the morning of June 24, 2025, Minister Şimşek stated that they were taking new steps to prevent the laundering of criminal proceeds through crypto asset transactions. Şimşek emphasized that the primary goal was to prevent the entry of proceeds from illegal betting and fraud into the system through platforms, and said, "Administrative, legal and financial sanctions will be imposed on platforms that do not comply."
Strict supervision and new requirements are coming for crypto currencies
Within the scope of the new regulations, stricter supervision mechanisms are being introduced for Crypto Asset Service Providers (KVHS). It is becoming mandatory for platforms to obtain detailed information about the source of funds used in transactions made by users and the purpose of crypto asset transfers. In this context, it will also be required to obtain a transaction description of at least 20 characters from the user for each crypto asset transfer.
In addition, compliance with the international regulation known as the “travel rule”, which requires the matching of identity information of the parties in transfer transactions, will be made mandatory. A time limit will be imposed for transactions that do not apply to this rule. Accordingly, if a crypto asset is being withdrawn for the first time, the transaction can be carried out after 72 hours at the earliest, and after 48 hours for other withdrawals.
Transfer limit for stable cryptocurrencies
Another important heading of the regulation is related to stable cryptocurrencies, also known as “stablecoins”. In order to prevent the rapid removal of criminal proceeds from the system, a daily limit of 3 thousand dollars and a monthly limit of 50 thousand dollars is imposed on cryptocurrency transfers with a fixed value. However, this limit can be doubled for platforms that fully fulfill their “travel rule” obligations.
Flexibility for legitimate users, harsh sanctions for those who do not comply
Şimşek also stated that legitimate areas of activity in the crypto ecosystem will be protected. He stated that transfer limits will not apply to liquidity providers, market makers or users who conduct arbitrage transactions and document their transaction sources. However, platforms will be required to carry out these transactions under their own supervision.
Sending a clear message to Crypto Asset Service Providers, Şimşek said that platforms that do not comply with the new rules will face not only administrative penalties, but also serious legal and financial sanctions such as license revocation or non-granting of a license. All eyes are now on how determined Turkey will be in implementing these rules within the scope of cryptocurrency regulations and how platforms will adapt to this process.
