Colombia archived its crypto provider bill, and providers report to the UIAF without any licence

Colombia has no comprehensive crypto framework. The bill that would have created a public provider register was archived, and providers report to the UIAF under Resolution 314 of 2021, which is not a licence. The DIAN adds tax reporting from tax year 2026. No rule specific to crypto ATMs was found.

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Colombia has no comprehensive crypto framework.¹ The bill that would have created a public provider register was archived, and providers report to the UIAF under Resolution 314 of 2021, which is not a licence.^2,5 The DIAN adds tax reporting from tax year 2026.² No rule specific to crypto ATMs was found.

Last updated: October 2026

Regulatory Framework

An article published by the UIAF, the financial intelligence unit, dated 19 August 2026, says Colombia lacks a comprehensive legal framework that regulates virtual asset service providers systematically.¹ Bill 510 of 2025 was filed on 25 February 2025 and would have created a public register of providers run by the Superintendencia de Sociedades.^1,3 According to the UIAF article it passed the first and second debates in the Cámara but was not processed in the Senate within the two legislative sessions, so it was archived under Article 190 of Law 5 of 1992.¹ Portafolio reported on 15 August 2026 that the bill was no longer in progress, and that the new Government must define its position on the sector.²

Reporting to the UIAF

UIAF Resolution 314 of 2021 requires providers of virtual asset services to send suspicious transaction reports at once through the SIREL online system, whatever the amount. The covered services include exchange between virtual assets and fiat currency, exchange between virtual assets, transfers, custody or administration, and related financial services. Providers also report each month single transactions of USD 150 or more and multiple transactions that together reach USD 450 or more, or the equivalent in another currency. Reports from providers were required from 1 April 2022.⁴ The UIAF page lists the resolution as in force.⁵

Registration with SIREL serves reporting to the UIAF. Portafolio states that these controls are not a licence and do not guarantee the solvency of a platform.² The sources reviewed give no KYC threshold for a single customer purchase at a machine, and the reporting thresholds above are not a limit below which identification can be skipped.

What Regulators Have Said

Central Bank Position

The Banco de la República concept of 7 April 2025 answers a consultation about documents related to the purchase of a possible digital asset. It says digital assets are not currency, legal tender or foreign exchange, that nobody must accept them as a means of payment, and that the Bank does not review documents on their purchase and sale. It points to the documents of the SFC on crypto-assets.⁷ The concept does not say that activities with digital assets are illegal.

Banks and the SFC Pilot

The SFC pilot ran through LaArenera SFC and ended on 13 June 2024. It tested deposit products in the name of crypto platforms, and each of the seven alliances paired a supervised credit institution or a specialised electronic payment and deposit company with a crypto exchange based in Colombia. The press release does not describe a licence and says participating platforms had to meet requirements such as AML controls and a consumer service system.⁶ Whether a machine operator can obtain a bank account or cash services was not found in the sources.

Tax Reporting

DIAN Resolution 233 of 2025 sets reporting for crypto-asset service providers domiciled in Colombia or with operations there. The text excerpt gives a threshold of gross income above 1,400 UVT for the reporting year in one place, and total user transactions of 1,400 UVT in the recitals. Providers report the operations of their users that convert legal tender into digital assets or digital assets into legal tender.⁸ The DIAN said on 6 May 2026 that crypto-asset service providers must report under the CARF standard under Resolution 240 of 2025.⁹ Portafolio reports collection from tax year 2026 and a first submission in May 2027.² None of these reporting duties is an operating licence.

Crypto ATMs

No text reviewed mentions crypto ATMs. Resolution 314 lists exchange between virtual assets and fiat currency among covered services, and the sources do not say whether a cash-for-crypto machine falls under that definition.⁴ No separate licence or registration route for a machine operator was found.

Bloomberg Línea reported on 21 August 2026 that Coin ATM Radar lists 14 locations in Colombia, down from 50 machines in 2021 according to an earlier report using the same portal. It also reported that the Colombian machines of Athena Bitcoin stopped operating, and that Athena now serves customers through WhatsApp.¹⁰ Map listings do not show which machines work, so the number of working machines was not confirmed.

What Is Not Known

No text reviewed says how Colombian law treats a machine that sells bitcoin for cash. Whether the Superintendencia de Sociedades' SAGRILAFT anti-money-laundering regime applies to a machine operator was not confirmed. The Banco de la República concept dates from April 2025 and answers a specific consultation, and no later statement was found. Portafolio reports that the industry will ask to revive a provider framework, and no new bill was found. The two 1,400 UVT tests in the DIAN text are not reconciled in the excerpt reviewed. A Colombian lawyer would need to assess the cash and crypto flows, custody, the customer relationship, the AML process, DIAN reporting and bank access for a specific model.

Sources and references

1. UIAF, Activos virtuales en Colombia: entre los estándares del GAFI y un marco regulatorio aún pendiente, 19 August 2026 (PRIMARY, published by the UIAF, accessed 16 October 2026) | uiaf.gov.co
2. Portafolio, Mercado cripto queda sin regulación integral tras archivo de ley, pese a mayores controles tributarios, 15 August 2026 (SECONDARY, accessed 16 October 2026) | portafolio.co
3. Congreso de la República, Gaceta 1070, positive report for second debate of Bill 510 of 2025 Cámara, 18 June 2025 (PRIMARY, accessed 16 October 2026) | congreso visible
4. UIAF, Reportes a proveedores de activos virtuales, press note of 29 December 2021 on Resolution 314 of 2021 (PRIMARY, accessed 16 October 2026) | uiaf.gov.co
5. UIAF, Resolución 314 de 2021, status page marked in force (PRIMARY, accessed 16 October 2026) | uiaf.gov.co
6. Superintendencia Financiera de Colombia, press release of 27 June 2024 on the close of the pilot for deposit products in the name of crypto-asset platforms (PRIMARY, accessed 16 October 2026) | superfinanciera.gov.co
7. Banco de la República, concept SCD-000065220 of 7 April 2025 (PRIMARY, accessed 16 October 2026) | banrep.gov.co
8. DIAN, Resolución 000233 de 2025 (PRIMARY, text excerpt, accessed 16 October 2026) | dian.gov.co
9. DIAN, press release of 6 May 2026 on CARF training for crypto-asset providers (PRIMARY, accessed 16 October 2026) | dian.gov.co
10. Bloomberg Línea, Cajeros cripto pierden auge: así quedó la lista de países con más ATM en Latinoamérica a 2026, 21 August 2026 (SECONDARY, accessed 16 October 2026) | bloomberglinea.com

Legal Disclaimer: This article by GENERAL BYTES is for informational purposes only and does not constitute formal legal, financial, or investment advice. Rules may change; always consult specialised local legal counsel and confirm the current position with the UIAF, the SFC and the DIAN before considering market entry.