At the Government session chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov, a Joint Action Plan with the National Bank of Kazakhstan was approved to develop the digital assets industry.

The document includes 65 measures across 10 areas and will expand the scope of digital asset applications within the economy. Implementing this comprehensive set of measures will contribute to increasing investment attractiveness and building a modern, competitive digital assets industry.

"The National Bank, together with state authorities, must ensure the timely and high-quality implementation of the measures provided for in the Presidential Decree on stimulating and developing the digital assets industry. I emphasize the personal responsibility of each head for achieving concrete results," Olzhas Bektenov stressed.

Implementing these measures will allow returning capital to a transparent Kazakhstani contour, expanding the use of digital tools for payments and financing the real sector, strengthening investor protection, and developing the export of digital financial services. Executing the Joint Action Plan will bring Kazakhstan's digital assets market to a qualitatively new level of development. The National Bank coordinates the work and monitors execution deadlines.

Reports on the current situation and sector prospects were presented by Chairman of the National Bank of RK Timur Suleimenov, Deputy Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Gizzat Baitursynov, as well as the leadership of the Astana International Financial Centre, the Solana Superteam KZ corporate foundation, and the Blockchain and Digital Mining Association.

To date, a regulatory framework has already been established in the country, a specialized Presidential Decree has been adopted, and the National Strategic Crypto Reserve has reached $700m. Within the National Bank's regulatory sandbox, 34 business projects successfully passed testing.

The Prime Minister noted that after laying the foundation, the stage of forming a holistic ecosystem begins.

"The Head of State set serious tasks for the country's technological development. The digital assets industry is a completely new direction in Kazakhstan's economy. The basic conditions for the development of the digital assets market have already been created. Now comes the stage of forming a holistic ecosystem. This is important for attracting investment, new technologies, and increasing the competitiveness of the domestic financial sector," Olzhas Bektenov emphasized.

One of the key priorities identified is integrating digital tools into the general economic architecture through tokenizing real assets. This mechanism is viewed as an additional way to attract capital to large infrastructure projects, real estate, and the raw materials sector by dividing them into digital shares accessible to a wide range of investors. The National Bank needs to determine a specific list of assets that will be prioritized for digital conversion to attract investment. At the same time, the mechanism must be clearly regulated, and transaction security must be guaranteed.

Special attention was given to protecting citizens in the digital environment. This month, the Financial Monitoring Agency suppressed illegal activities under the guise of providing microloans in cryptocurrency. Authorized bodies must continue ensuring citizen protection in the digital environment, as guaranteed by the new Constitution. The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, together with the National Bank, should actively work to ensure cybersecurity and improve legislation in this field.

One of the most significant directions is the creation of the digital tenge. This project is being implemented as an element of modernizing payment infrastructure and increasing the efficiency of the financial system. Unlike cryptocurrencies, the digital tenge is a centralized digital currency issued by the National Bank and serves as legal tender. An important outcome of using the digital tenge should be increased efficiency in public spending. The digital tenge can become a tool for developing digital financial services. The ability to conclude digital contracts opens prospects for automating settlements in public procurement and corporate operations. In this regard, the Ministry of Finance, together with the National Bank and other interested parties, needs to work out all possible measures to expand the use of the digital tenge.

In digital mining, where Kazakhstan ranks among the top 10 countries in Bitcoin production based on 2025 results, the vector is shifting from quantitative growth to qualitative transformation. State policy in this area should move toward forming a higher-quality operational model that ensures energy consumption control, transparent taxation, and integration of the industry into the global digital economy. The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, together with the Blockchain and Mining Association and interested state bodies, was instructed to develop additional measures for further industry development. A full-fledged digital mining industry will be built, consisting of an exchange, digital tools, tokenization, asset custody, and payment solutions. The Ministry of Energy, together with the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, must work out a mechanism for utilizing gas and coal power generation to power mining centers.

Following the meeting, the Head of Government issued several directives to responsible agencies.

First, the Ministry of National Economy, together with interested state bodies, must ensure the creation of competitive conditions for the digital assets market. The proposed solutions should contribute to returning capital to Kazakhstan's economy, developing the domestic market, and actively attracting international participants. Work on establishing the Digital Assets and Payment Systems Committee must also be accelerated.

Second, developing the digital assets industry is not solely a matter of financial regulation. Underlying this direction are modern technologies, software solutions, and highly qualified specialists. Market development must build corresponding competencies within the country. The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence, together with the Ministry of Science and other interested state bodies, was instructed to create necessary conditions for skill development and the emergence of Kazakhstani technology companies. Kazakhstan should not only be a platform for digital asset trading, but also a country that creates its own products and specialists for this industry.

Third, developing digital financial tools opens new opportunities for improving international settlements. It is important for Kazakhstan to timely assess the potential of such solutions and build domestic competencies in this area. The National Bank, together with interested parties, needs to work out the possibility of applying such tools in international settlements. Promising areas should be identified where such mechanisms can increase settlement speed and expand capabilities for Kazakhstani businesses.

#Olzhas Bektenov #The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan #Digitalization #President's instruction

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