Cryptocurrency exchange Bybit Kazakhstan has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the Programme Office of the Astana International Financial Centre's (AIFC) Investment Tax Residency Programme (ITRP), represented by AIFC Markets Ltd. Under the agreement, qualified investments in digital assets made by Programme participants through Bybit Kazakhstan's licensed platform will be verified and recognized by the Programme Office.

The ITRP is an AIFC initiative that enables eligible foreign investors to obtain Kazakhstan tax residency and an investor visa in exchange for investing through the AIFC infrastructure. The AIFC, launched in 2018 as an international financial centre operating under its own legal framework with the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) as its independent regulator, provides the licensing environment in which platforms such as Bybit Kazakhstan offer digital asset services within the Centre. The Programme already recognizes in-scope investments in digital assets made through AFSA-licensed platforms by qualified investors. For investors, the framework creates a clear and transparent path: opening an account with an AFSA-licensed platform such as Bybit Kazakhstan, building a digital asset portfolio, and having those investments recognized within the Programme through a streamlined process.

New Horizons for Investors Under the Framework

According to the announcement, the memorandum is expected to provide a regulated route into the Programme through digital assets, specifically qualified digital asset investments made on a licensed AIFC platform, alongside transparency and simplicity through automated, secure verification of investments between Bybit Kazakhstan and the Programme Office. It is also expected to create new opportunities for international investors, combining Kazakhstan tax residency with access to digital asset markets within a single framework. The structure ties residency and tax incentives to activity on a supervised venue, keeping digital asset investments within a regulated perimeter rather than outside formal channels, and brings together the two strands both executives emphasized: attracting international capital and maintaining a consistent regulatory environment for digital assets.

"Kazakhstan is building one of the most consistent regulated environments for digital assets in the region, and the AIFC Investment Tax Residency Programme shows how this approach works in practice," said Ablaikhan Aubakir, Country Manager at Bybit Kazakhstan, in a written statement. "This memorandum means that investors who choose Kazakhstan can build their digital asset portfolio on a licensed platform and be confident that these investments are recognised within the AIFC framework. It is another step in connecting our infrastructure with the country's financial ecosystem," he added.

"Introducing digital assets into the AIFC Investment Tax Residency Programme is a significant step in advancing Kazakhstan's investment infrastructure," said Bakhtiyar Tleubekov, Chairman of the Management Board of the AIFC Authority, in a written statement. "We are consistently expanding the range of instruments available to attract international capital while building a transparent and regulated environment aligned with global trends in digital finance. The updated programme creates new opportunities for investors within the AIFC ecosystem and provides further momentum to the development of the digital asset market in Kazakhstan," he added.

Building on an Existing Partnership

The memorandum builds on Bybit Kazakhstan's ongoing cooperation with the AIFC. As an AIFC Participant licensed by AFSA, Bybit Kazakhstan continues to work closely with the Centre and its institutions on the development of regulated digital asset infrastructure in Kazakhstan, and the parties intend to explore further joint initiatives within the AIFC ecosystem. Because a memorandum of this kind typically records intent rather than operational detail, how the automated verification of investments functions in practice — and which further joint initiatives follow — will be the immediate markers of how the framework develops.

Further information on the Investment Tax Residency Programme is available on the AIFC website, while digital asset trading is accessible to eligible users on Bybit.kz.

Source: Metaverse Post