Crypto in Georgia

Buy crypto in Georgia: the ultimate guide for Tbilisi & Batumi

Everything you need to buy, sell, store and legally use crypto in Georgia, with lari costs, real local options and a detailed guide behind every step.

  • US state licences
  • FCA-registered (UK)
  • Visa · Mastercard · Apple Pay

Lari ⇄ crypto at the live rate

Last known rate
You pay
  • ₾GELGeorgian lari
  • $USDUS dollar
  • €EUREuro
  • BBTCBitcoin
  • EETHEthereum
  • UUSDTTether
  • LLTCLitecoin
  • DDOGEDogecoin
  • XXRPXRP
  • PPIPi Network
You get
—
  • ₾GELGeorgian lari
  • $USDUS dollar
  • €EUREuro
  • BBTCBitcoin
  • EETHEthereum
  • UUSDTTether
  • LLTCLitecoin
  • DDOGEDogecoin
  • XXRPXRP
  • PPIPi Network

 

Buy at this rate

US state money-transmitter licences · FCA-registered in the UK · since 2013

Tbilisi skyline with modern towers and hills at dusk
Tbilisi
Georgian flag over the pebble beach in Batumi on the Black Sea
Batumi
Illuminated Bitcoin sign of a crypto ATM point
Crypto ATMs
~150
Cryptomat ATMs listed in 7 cities
43
VASPs on the NBG register
0%
income tax on crypto sales for individuals
8,000+
PayBox terminals that can top up crypto accounts

Crypto on the map of Georgia

Pick a city or region to see how many crypto ATMs it has, whether you can sell for cash, and where the detailed guide is.

თბილისი ბათუმი ქუთაისი რუსთავი თელავი გორი ზუგდიდი ოზურგეთი ახალციხე მცხეთა ამბროლაური ფოთი

წრის ზომა ≈ Cryptomat-ის აპარატების რაოდენობა ოპერატორის საჯარო სიის მიხედვით. ოკუპირებულ ტერიტორიებზე სერვისები არ მოქმედებს.

—

დააჭირეთ ქალაქს ან რეგიონს

Cryptomat-ის აპარატები (დაახლ.)
—
მათ შორის ყიდვა-გაყიდვის
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რეგისტრირებული გაცვლის პუნქტები
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გზამკვლევის გახსნა

You can buy crypto in Georgia in more ways than in most of the region, and nearly all of them start with lari (GEL). In Tbilisi there are about 133 Cryptomat machines, most of them in or outside supermarkets such as Nikora and Spar. In Batumi you can walk into a registered crypto desk near Orbi City. Anywhere in the country you can tap a few buttons inside the TBC mobile bank or top up an exchange account with cash at a PayBox terminal. The easy path and the safe path are not always the same one, though: each route has its own cost, its own ID check and its own legal fine print.

Crypto exchanges in Georgia come in two kinds. There are the 43 providers on the National Bank of Georgia’s register, from online exchanges like Cryptal to cash desks in city centres, and there are the global platforms, of which only Bybit and WhiteBIT hold a Georgian registration. This guide explains how both work when you pay in lari, lines up the eight global exchanges people here actually use, shows where to buy crypto in Tbilisi and Batumi, and covers selling, the famous 0% tax, property deals and the coins that matter. Every section hands you over to a dedicated guide when you want the details. If you are completely new to the subject, start with our plain-language explainer, what cryptocurrency is and how it works, and keep the crypto glossary open in another tab.

How crypto works in Georgia today

The short version: crypto is legal to own, buy and sell, it is regulated, and it is not money in the legal sense.

Since 1 January 2023, amendments to the Organic Law on the National Bank of Georgia have defined virtual assets and put everyone who exchanges, transfers or stores crypto for other people under the supervision of the National Bank of Georgiaსებსაქართველოს ეროვნული ბანკი — ცენტრალური ბანკი, რომელიც 2023 წლიდან კრიპტო-სერვისების პროვაიდერებსაც (VASP) ზედამხედველობს.. Such a business is a VASPVASPვირტუალური აქტივების მომსახურების პროვაიდერი — ბირჟა, კრიპტომატის ოპერატორი ან მეურვე. საქართველოში ყველა VASP უნდა იყოს რეგისტრირებული ეროვნულ ბანკში. (virtual asset service provider), and it must be registered before it can serve customers. The detailed registration rule took effect on 1 July 2023. Commercial banks can offer crypto services under their own banking licence, which is how TBC Bank added crypto trading to its app.

The register version dated 23.10.2026 lists 43 active VASPs. Most are Georgian companies: online exchanges such as Cryptal and Coinmania, cash desks in Tbilisi and Batumi, and the Cryptomat ATM network. Only two of the big global brands are on it: Bybit Georgia (registration 0019-9404) and WhiteBIT Georgia (0007-9404). Binance, OKX, KuCoin, Kraken and CEX.IO are not. That does not mean Georgians are banned from using them; it means they are not Georgian-registered providers, and you have no local supervisor to complain to.

What you cannot do is pay with crypto. Article 39¹ of the same law says a virtual asset is not legal tender and payments in virtual assets are prohibited, and the NBG’s FAQ adds that Georgian companies and individual entrepreneurs may not accept crypto for goods or services. So when a café, a car dealer or a Batumi developer says “we take USDT”, what legally happens is a conversion: a registered provider turns your crypto into lari or dollars, and the business is paid in fiat. Keep that in mind for everything below. The full legal picture is in our guide to crypto regulation in Georgia.

Every way to buy crypto in Georgia, compared

There are seven practical routes. None is “best” for everyone: a tourist with cash, a resident with a TBC account and a buyer moving USD 200,000 into a Batumi flat need very different things. The table gives the honest outline; the sections after it explain each one. Our step-by-step guide on how to buy crypto in Georgia walks through all of them, and if time matters most, see the quickest way to buy crypto in Georgia.

MethodSpeedTypical costID needed
Cryptomat ATMMinutes, on the spotNot published; 6–12% reportedPhone for small sums, passport above
TBC mobile bankMinutes, in the appCommission-free at launchExisting TBC customer
Local exchange + Georgian cardMinutes2% card deposit at CryptalOnline KYC
PayBox cash top-upMinutes1% at Cryptal via PayBoxExchange account
P2P in lari4–10 min per order in testsAbout 0.5% over NBG rate in a testExchange KYC
OTC desk / exchange officeAbout 5 min first visitBuilt into the ratePassport, selfie, questionnaire
Global exchange with cardMinutes after verificationCard fee + FX conversionID, address, card check

Costs here come from published fee pages where they exist (Cryptal, TBC’s launch terms) and from independent testing where they don’t. Cryptomat’s 6–12% is a secondary estimate, not an operator figure, and the P2P result was a single test. Treat them as orders of magnitude.

Crypto ATMs

The ATM network is effectively one company: Cryptomat, NBG registration 0005-9404. Its own location list shows roughly 150–160 machines, about 133 of them in Tbilisi, inside or outside Nikora, Spar, Libre, Daily and other chains. Every machine handles the same five coins: BTC, ETH, LTC, BCH and USDT on both ERC-20ERC-20ტოკენები Ethereum-ის ქსელზე. ფართოდ მხარდაჭერილია, თუმცა ქსელის საკომისიო ზოგჯერ რამდენიმე დოლარია. and TRC-20TRC-20USDT Tron-ის ქსელზე. იაფი და სწრაფი გადარიცხვა — ამიტომაც საქართველოში OTC და უძრავი ქონების გარიგებები ხშირად TRC-20-ში ხდება.. Most are buy-only. About ten are marked “buy & sell”, mostly in Tbilisi malls such as Galleria Tbilisi and Tbilisi Mall, plus West Point in Kutaisi.

ATMs are the most private-feeling way in, and the most expensive. Cryptomat doesn’t publish its fees or limits; secondary guides put the total cost, including the spreadსპრედისხვაობა ყიდვისა და გაყიდვის ფასს შორის. თუ ჯიხური USDT-ს 2.57 ლარად ყიდულობს და 2.62 ლარად ყიდის, თითო მონეტაზე 0.05 ლარს იღებს., at 6–12%, with only a phone number needed for small amounts. Our crypto ATM guide has the map, the sell-enabled locations and a fee calculator, and our Cryptomat review covers the operator itself.

Illuminated Bitcoin ATM sign at a crypto machine location in Tbilisi
Most Georgian crypto ATMs sit at supermarket and mall entrances; only a few of them buy crypto back for cash.

Your bank app

In May 2026 TBC Bank added crypto trading to its mobile bank: about 30 assets, purchases from $1, commission-free in the launch phase, with no separate exchange registration. Liquidity and execution come from Bybit Georgia. If you already bank with TBC, this is the shortest path from lari to crypto. What we could not confirm on TBC’s own site: the fees after the launch phase, and whether you can withdraw coins to an outside wallet. Hash Bank, a newer digital bank, also offers in-app buying, selling and swapping of BTC, ETH and LTC according to a compiled summary of its tariffs. Bank of Georgia has not published a crypto product. All of this is covered in banks and crypto in Georgia.

Local exchanges with a Georgian card

NBG-registered online exchanges accept Georgian cards directly in lari. Cryptal’s published fees are a good benchmark: 2% for Bank of Georgia, TBC, other Georgian cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay; 2.5% for Mere Card; free for bank transfer, BOG Pay and TBC Pay. Bigger amounts are cheaper by bank transfer than by card. Read our guide to buying crypto with a card in Georgia for a side-by-side of local and international card options, and the Cryptal review for the platform.

Cash at PayBox terminals

PayBox runs 8,000+ payment terminals around the country, and says you can buy crypto through them via five registered exchanges: Cryptal, Coinmania, WhiteBIT, CityPay and Bitanica. In practice you create and verify an account on the exchange, then top it up in lari at a terminal; Cryptal charges 1% for a PayBox top-up. It is the most practical cash route outside the big cities. Details and the full partner list are in buying crypto with cash in Georgia.

P2P in lari

On a P2PP2PPeer-to-peer — კრიპტოს სხვა ადამიანისგან ყიდულობთ და პირდაპირ უხდით (მაგ. TBC-ის ან საქართველოს ბანკის გადარიცხვით), პლატფორმა კი მონეტებს ესქროუში ინახავს. marketplace you buy from another person who receives your lari by bank transfer, while the exchange holds their crypto in escrowესქროუპლატფორმა გამყიდველის მონეტებს ბლოკავს, სანამ ის არ დაადასტურებს, რომ თქვენი გადახდა მიიღო — ასე ვერც ერთი მხარე ვერ გაქრება ფულით.. Binance has the largest lari book, with payment methods including Bank of Georgia, TBC, Liberty, Credo, Basisbank, Terabank and Hash Bank; Bybit and OKX also have active GEL markets. In one independent test, a 500 GEL purchase through TBC was released in about four minutes, within roughly 0.5% of the official rate. The catch is your bank: transfers to and from strangers can trigger questions, and P2P has its own fraud patterns. Our P2P crypto guide for Georgia covers the safety rules.

OTC desks and exchange offices

For larger sums, or if you want cash, Tbilisi and Batumi have walk-in offices run by registered VASPs. Expect a passport, a selfie and a short questionnaire on the first visit; the fee is built into the exchange rate rather than shown separately. Spreads and minimums are rarely published, so ask for a written quote before you send anything. See OTC crypto desks in Tbilisi and Batumi.

Global exchanges and card on-ramps

International exchanges give you the widest coin choice and the deepest markets. Two of them, Bybit and WhiteBIT, also hold Georgian registrations; the rest are used from Georgia without one. The next section lines up the eight that matter here, with what each one does for someone paying in lari.

If you just want to pay by card on a long-established international platform, CEX.IO has operated since 2013, holds US state money-transmitter licences (NMLS 1804170) and a UK FCA cryptoasset registration (FRN 1007192), and takes Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay. It has no GEL wallet and no P2P market, so your Georgian card is charged in dollars or euros with a currency conversion on top. The CEX.IO review has the details.

Prefer a card purchase on an international platform?CEX.IO: Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and Google Pay. Purchases are in USD or EUR, not lari.

Buy with a card

If you are buying for the first time

Decide what you need the crypto for

Holding Bitcoin long-term, paying a foreign invoice in USDT and funding a property deal call for different routes. Write down the amount in lari and the coin.

Pick a registered or well-documented venue

For small amounts, the TBC app, a Cryptomat machine or a registered local exchange. For larger amounts, a registered desk or an exchange with a published fee schedule.

Start with a small test

Buy a small amount first and, if you plan to move it, send it to your own wallet to check the address and the network before sending the rest.

Keep every receipt

Save confirmations, exchange statements and transaction IDs. You will need them when you sell, when your bank asks questions, and if you ever use the money for property.

Best crypto exchanges in Georgia at a glance

There is no single best crypto exchange in Georgia. What separates the platforms here is rarely the trading fee, which sits around 0.1% per trade on most of the big ones; it is how your lari gets in and out, and who supervises the company. Four questions sort that out.

Is it on the NBG register? Among global brands, only Bybit Georgia (0019-9404) and WhiteBIT Georgia (0007-9404) are. A registered provider is supervised by the National Bank for AMLAMLფულის გათეთრების საწინააღმდეგო წესები. სწორედ ამიტომ შეიძლება ბირჟამ ან ბანკმა გკითხოთ, საიდან გაქვთ თანხა. rules, has a local address and must display its registration; from 1 September 2027 it also needs minimum capital, GEL 150,000 for exchange services including kiosks. With an unregistered platform you are dealing with a company abroad.

How does lari reach it? There are three possibilities: directly from a Georgian bank (only WhiteBIT, through TBC Bank and Hash Bank, with no fixed fee in its public fee data), through P2P with another user (Binance, Bybit and OKX have active GEL markets, KuCoin and Bitget thin ones), or not at all (CEX.IO and Kraken work in dollars and euros).

What happens to your card? Visa and Mastercard work almost everywhere, but none of the global exchanges we checked charges a card in lari. Your bank converts from GEL at its own rate first, unless the card sits on a dollar or euro account.

Where is the real cost? Base spot fees are 0.10% maker/takerმეიქერი / თეიქერიმეიქერი ათავსებს ორდერს, რომელიც წიგნში ელოდება; თეიქერი არსებულ ორდერს მყისიერად ასრულებს და ჩვეულებრივ ცოტა მეტს იხდის. on Bybit, WhiteBIT, Binance, KuCoin and Bitget, and 0.08%/0.10% on OKX. The money you actually lose usually goes elsewhere: the card fee (Kraken charges $0.25 + 3.75% on debit-card deposits), the spread, or the P2P premium over the official rate.

PlatformNBG registrationLari (GEL) routeCards and extras
CEX.IONo (US NMLS 1804170, UK FCA FRN 1007192)No GEL wallet; card charged in USD/EURVisa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay
BybitYes, 0019-9404GEL P2P (BoG, TBC, Credo, Liberty); executes TBC app tradesBybit Card for residents
WhiteBITYes, 0007-9404Direct GEL via TBC Bank and Hash BankCards; PayBox cash top-ups
BinanceNo (VARA, Dubai)GEL P2P with 7 Georgian banksVisa, Mastercard
OKXNo (MiCA, Malta)GEL P2P incl. Cartu and PayseraCards via partners; lists PI
KrakenNoNo GEL; USD/EUR wireDebit card $0.25 + 3.75%; lists PI
KuCoinNo (MiCA, Austria)Thin GEL P2PCards via third parties
BitgetNoSmall GEL P2PCards via partners; lists PI

The table describes how each platform connects to Georgia, not how good it is. All eight are used from here, and none is the right answer for every reader. Our full comparison of the best crypto exchanges in Georgia adds fee details, lari P2P depth and the platforms that don’t serve Georgia at all, such as Luno and Gemini. For one platform in depth, read our reviews of CEX.IO, Bybit, WhiteBIT, Binance, OKX and KuCoin.

Matched to situations, the choice gets simpler. Lari through your own bank with no strangers involved points to WhiteBIT’s TBC and Hash Bank rails or the TBC app. Selling a large amount of USDT for lari points to the P2P markets on Binance, Bybit and OKX. A dollar or euro card, or a visitor’s foreign card, works on CEX.IO and Kraken without a Georgian bank account. And if you need PI, OKX, Kraken and Bitget list it.

In practice, many people in Georgia combine the two worlds: a registered local route (the TBC app, Cryptal, a desk, a Cryptomat) to get between lari and crypto, and a large global exchange or their own wallet for everything else. To check any company’s registration number, use the searchable NBG-registered exchange list. If you also want to spend crypto, our pages on crypto cards and crypto apps in Georgia cover the Bybit Card, launched for Georgian residents on 28 January 2026, and the main mobile options.

Where to buy crypto in Tbilisi and Batumi

Georgia’s crypto infrastructure is heavily concentrated in Tbilisi, with Batumi a clear second. The gap matters most when you need cash or a face-to-face desk rather than an app.

Tbilisi

The capital has around 133 Cryptomat machines, mostly in or outside Nikora, Spar, Libre and Daily supermarkets, and some outdoor kiosks are marked as open 24 hours. Nine of them also buy crypto back and pay out lari: Galleria Tbilisi on Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi Mall at the Digomi exit, Goodwill Dighomi, Orbeliani Bazaar, Axis on Kazbegi Avenue, City Mall Saburtalo, City Mall Gldani, Isani Mall and Homemart Vake. The other ~124 are buy-only, spread from Gldani, Didi Digomi and Nadzaladevi in the north to Varketili, Samgori and Ortachala in the east and south.

About 35 registered providers have Tbilisi addresses, and they cluster in a few predictable places:

  • Vake, Chavchavadze Avenue. The densest strip: Bithold, YXXY, PLEX, Gaus Crypto, CoinSwap and Stellex on the avenue itself, Coinmania and Werty nearby. You can compare two or three quotes on foot.
  • Saburtalo, Kazbegi Avenue. Coinero, Crypto Exchange (Smart Crypto) and Matio, plus two sell-capable machines at Axis Kazbegi and City Mall Saburtalo, which makes it a practical district for selling.
  • Old Tbilisi, Rustaveli Avenue and Liberty Square. Bitcasa, AURUM, Cryptox, Coinet and Coinsflow, with the sell-capable Galleria Tbilisi machine on Rustaveli.
  • Marjanishvili. GECRYPTO on Marjanishvili 5, in Chughureti.

Bybit Georgia (Kostava 14) and WhiteBIT Georgia (Leonidze 2 / Tabidze 1) also have registered Tbilisi addresses, but both are online platforms first, so don’t expect a cashier. Alltrust.me has the only airport location on the register, at Tbilisi International Airport. A registered address is not proof of a walk-in desk, so message before you go. The district-by-district list, with addresses for the nine sell-capable machines, is in our guide to buying crypto in Tbilisi.

Batumi

Batumi has 11 Cryptomat machines, all in Nikora, Spar and Libre supermarkets (Angisa 2, Pirosmani 1a, Gorgiladze 66 and Tsereteli 1 by Tbilisi Square among them), and every one is buy-only. You can turn lari into BTC or USDT at a machine, but turning crypto back into cash means a desk.

Ten registered providers have a Batumi address, and six of them are headquartered in Batumi or Adjara. They sit in two clusters. Along the New Boulevard, on Khimshiashvili and Kaczynski streets around Orbi City, where many foreign buyers’ flats are, Digital Currency has six registered points and PLEX has an office in Orbi City block C (Khimshiashvili 7d) and another on Kaczynski 18. In Old Batumi, Crypto Change Batumi, Fintrust and Alltrust.me all have addresses on Gorgiladze Street, and PayBit is on Rustaveli Street.

Batumi received about 2.6 million international visitors in 2025, so in high season book a time with an office before you bring a large amount. Crossing from Turkey? Coinero has a registered branch in Sarpi village, right at the border. Tourists can use the machines and the offices with a foreign passport; P2P in lari and the TBC app usually need a Georgian bank account. Office addresses, the USDT cash-out routine and the Sarpi details are in buying and exchanging crypto in Batumi. If the money is meant for a flat, go straight to buying an apartment in Batumi with crypto.

Kutaisi, Rustavi and the regions

Kutaisi has three machines, and one of them, at West Point on Shartava Street, is the only sell-capable crypto ATM outside Tbilisi. We found no registered VASP office in the city, so most residents rely on online exchanges and PayBox top-ups. See crypto in Kutaisi.

Rustavi has five buy-only machines and branches of two registered providers, Alltrust.me and Werty, both on Aleksandre Lobzhanidze Street. Tbilisi is close enough for anything they can’t handle. See crypto in Rustavi.

Beyond these, Telavi has two machines and Gori and Zugdidi one each; Poti and Kobuleti have none. Our page on crypto in Georgia’s regions covers what works there, which is mostly online exchanges topped up by card, bank transfer or PayBox.

Selling crypto and cashing out USDT to lari

Getting out is where people in Georgia actually get stuck, usually not because there’s no buyer, but because their bank wants to know where the money came from. There are five realistic exits:

  • Exchange offices in Tbilisi and Batumi pay cash in GEL, USD or EUR, or transfer to your account. A registered desk will run KYCKYCKnow Your Customer — პირადობის შემოწმება (პასპორტი, სელფი, ზოგჯერ მისამართის დადასტურება), რომელსაც ლიცენზირებული სერვისები ვაჭრობამდე ითხოვენ. just as it does when you buy.
  • P2P sales on Binance, Bybit or OKX pay you directly into a Bank of Georgia, TBC, Liberty or Credo account. Fast, but watch for third-party payments and fake receipts.
  • WhiteBIT lists GEL withdrawals to TBC Bank and Hash Bank with no fixed fee in its public fee data.
  • Cryptal offers selling to a card or bank account in lari.
  • Sell-enabled Cryptomat machines, roughly ten of them, mostly in Tbilisi malls plus one in Kutaisi.

Whatever you use, keep a paper trail. Georgian banks may question incoming crypto-related transfers, and a stream of payments from unknown individuals can lead to an account review or a temporary freeze. Under AML rules, registered providers must identify customers on single transactions above USD/EUR 1,000 or GEL 3,000, and large sums can bring a source-of-fundsთანხის წარმოშობადოკუმენტები, რომლებიც აჩვენებს, საიდან მოვიდა ფული (ხელფასი, ქონების გაყიდვა, ბირჟის ამონაწერი). ქართულმა ბანკებმა შეიძლება მოითხოვონ კრიპტოსთან დაკავშირებულ დიდ გადარიცხვებზე. request. Our guide to selling crypto in Georgia has a USDT-to-GEL calculator and a comparison of payout routes.

A note on networks: USDT exists on several blockchains, and the wrong one can lose you money. Cryptomat machines take ERC-20 and TRC-20; Cryptal accepts Solana, ERC-20, TRC-20 and BEP-20. “BEP-20 USDT” on BNB Chain is a bridged version backed by Binance, not a token Tether issues itself. Local desks commonly quote in USDT on TRC-20. Always match the network on both sides before you press send; the USDT guide explains how.

Keeping crypto safe: wallets and scams

Crypto left on an exchange is custodialკასტოდიალურიგასაღებებს თქვენ ნაცვლად სხვა ინახავს — ბირჟა ან ბანკის აპი. მარტივია, მაგრამ ამ კომპანიაზე ხართ დამოკიდებული.: the platform holds the keys. That’s convenient for trading, but the coins are only as safe as the company. A non-custodialარაკასტოდიალურიგასაღებები თავად გაქვთ. საფულეს ვერავინ გაყინავს — და ვერც აღადგენს, თუ seed ფრაზას დაკარგავთ. wallet such as Trust Wallet or Keeper puts the keys on your phone, and a hardware walletაპარატურული საფულეპატარა ფიზიკური მოწყობილობა (Ledger, Trezor, Tangem ბარათი), რომელიც გასაღებებს ოფლაინ ინახავს და ტრანზაქციას მხოლოდ თქვენი დადასტურებით აწერს ხელს. from Ledger, Trezor or Tangem keeps them offline. Whatever you choose, the seed phraseSeed ფრაზა12 ან 24 სიტყვა, რომლითაც საფულეს ნებისმიერ მოწყობილობაზე აღადგენთ. ვისაც ეს სიტყვები აქვს, მონეტებიც მისია — არასდროს ჩაწეროთ საიტზე და არ გადაუღოთ ფოტო. is the wallet: anyone who sees it can empty it.

Hardware wallets are a Georgian headache in one specific way. Trezor’s reseller list shows no seller for Georgia, and we could not confirm an authorised Ledger or Tangem reseller here either. Order from the manufacturer’s own store and pay import charges on delivery. Never buy a “new” device second-hand from a local classifieds site, because a tampered wallet can be pre-loaded with a seed phrase someone else knows. Our guide to crypto wallets for Georgia compares the options.

The scams that show up most in Georgia are predictable:

  • “Exchangers” on Telegram or Instagram that promise anonymity and better rates than registered desks. The NBG register exists precisely so you can avoid them.
  • Fake buyers who offer Pi Network holders absurd prices, then ask for the wallet passphrase or a “verification” transfer.
  • P2P buyers who pay from someone else’s account or send a fake bank screenshot.
  • Property “investments” sold as tokens or NFTs with promised returns of hundreds of percent.
  • Sanctioned platforms: Garantex and its successor Grinex were designated by the US Treasury, and neither is registered in Georgia.

Our crypto scams in Georgia guide shows how each one works and what to do if you’ve been hit.

The law and tax, in plain words

Regulation. The NBG supervises registered VASPs, checks their AML controls and fines them when they fail. One provider, Sher888, was fined GEL 465,000 and later removed from the register. Under amendments announced in September 2026, VASPs also need a risk-management framework and minimum capital by 2027, which is likely to thin out the smallest operators. Our crypto regulation guide explains what this means for you as a customer, and the VASP registration page is for anyone planning to open a crypto business.

Tax. The headline is real but narrower than many relocation sites suggest. Under Ministry of Finance Public Decision No. 201 of 28 June 2019, income an individual receives from supplying (selling) crypto is not Georgian-source income, so it is not subject to Georgian personal income tax, effectively 0%. The same decision says exchanging crypto for money is not subject to VAT. The caveats:

  • crypto received as salary or as payment for goods or services is ordinary taxable income;
  • mining income for individuals is disputed: one major firm says it is taxed at 20%, another says the position is unsettled;
  • trading as an individual entrepreneur or company is not clearly covered by the decision, and the 1% Small Business regime excludes financial services;
  • your home country may tax you anyway, through residence, citizenship or exit rules.

Georgian tax residency generally means at least 183 days in any continuous 12-month period. Our crypto tax guide works through each case, and crypto for expats in Georgia covers residency, bank accounts and the practical side of moving here.

Buying property (and other big things) with crypto

This is where Georgian crypto meets real money, and where the most misleading claims circulate. Plenty of agencies and listing sites say Batumi and Tbilisi developers “accept Bitcoin or USDT”. We did not find a single developer’s own website saying so, and under Article 39¹ a Georgian developer cannot legally take crypto as payment anyway. Agencies that run these deals themselves describe the same mechanism: a registered provider converts the crypto and the developer is paid in fiat.

The compliant route looks like this. The contract is priced in dollars or lari. You sell your crypto at an NBG-registered VASP, receive dollars or lari with a receipt, and pay the seller. Then the sale is registered at the National Agency of Public Registry through a Public Service Hall: 150 GEL for registration within 4 working days, 270 GEL for next working day, 350 GEL same day. The exchange receipt matters: the bank receiving the money may ask for a documented trail from your original crypto purchase.

$150k
property value for a residence permit since 1 March 2026
150 GEL
Public Registry fee, 4 working days
$1,865
average Batumi price per m² in 2025 (Galt & Taggart)
7.4%
Batumi gross rental yield in 2025

Two numbers drive most foreign purchases. First, residency: since 1 March 2026 a non-agricultural property must be worth more than USD 150,000 (by an accredited appraiser) to support a short-term residence permit, up from USD 100,000. Second, the market: in Batumi foreign buyers made up 52% of apartment sales in 2025 and the gross rental yield was 7.4%, while Tbilisi primary-market prices averaged about $1,373 per m² in December 2025, according to Galt & Taggart data.

Our guide to buying real estate in Georgia with crypto covers the Tbilisi-focused process, due diligence and documents. For the coast, buying an apartment in Batumi with crypto adds a yield calculator and district notes. The same conversion logic applies to cars: see buying a car with crypto in Georgia.

Which coins people actually use in Georgia

USDT is the workhorse. It is what desks quote, what P2P traders sell for lari and what property deals are usually funded with, because it tracks the dollar and Georgian property is priced in dollars. Remember that Tether can freeze tokens on addresses linked to crime or sanctions, so receiving USDT from an unknown or tainted source is a real risk. Start with how to buy USDT in Georgia. The planned lari-pegged stablecoin, GEL₮, announced by Tether and the Georgian government in May 2026, has no published launch date or issuer yet.

Bitcoin is the one most people buy first, and the one every Cryptomat machine sells. None of the local venues we checked supports the LightningLightning ქსელიBitcoin-ის ზედა ფენა თითქმის მყისიერი და ძალიან იაფი გადახდებისთვის. კარგია მცირე თანხებისთვის, არა ბინის საყიდლად. network, so expect on-chain transfers. See how to buy Bitcoin in Georgia.

Pi gets a lot of Georgian searches, and a lot of scams. You cannot buy or sell Pi at Cryptomat machines or on Cryptal, and there is no direct Pi-to-lari market. Pi’s own advice is to transact only with exchanges on its verified business list, such as OKX, Kraken, Bitget and Gate. Our Pi coin guide explains the safe route from the Pi app to lari.

Beyond these three, Ethereum, Litecoin and Bitcoin Cash are on every ATM, and Cryptal also lists Solana, XRP, Dogecoin, TRX and others. Our coins overview shows which coin is available through which local route. It’s a map of availability, not investment advice: prices move fast, and the live converter on this page is there to show lari values, not to predict them.

Questions people ask

Is crypto legal in Georgia?

Yes. Owning, buying and selling crypto is legal. Since 1 January 2023 anyone providing crypto services to other people must register with the National Bank of Georgia, and the register listed 43 providers in its 23.10.2026 version. What is not allowed is paying for goods or services in crypto: it is not legal tender, and Georgian businesses may not accept it. Shops and developers are paid in lari or dollars after conversion at a registered provider.

Do I pay tax on crypto in Georgia?

For individuals, income from selling crypto is not treated as Georgian-source income under Ministry of Finance Public Decision No. 201 of 28 June 2019, so no Georgian personal income tax applies. Crypto received as salary or as payment for work is ordinary taxable income, mining income is a grey area, and trading as a business is not clearly covered. Your home country may still tax you, so get advice if you have ties elsewhere.

Can tourists buy crypto in Georgia?

Yes. Cryptomat ATMs reportedly ask only for a phone number on small amounts and a passport above roughly 1,000–2,000 GEL, although the operator does not publish its limits. Registered exchange offices in Tbilisi and Batumi verify you with a passport and a selfie, and global exchanges accept foreign passports. P2P trading in lari and the TBC app need a Georgian bank account, so they suit residents more than short-term visitors.

Where can I cash out USDT to lari?

The main routes are NBG-registered exchange offices in Tbilisi and Batumi that pay out GEL, USD or EUR in cash, P2P sales on Binance, Bybit or OKX paid into a Bank of Georgia or TBC account, WhiteBIT's GEL withdrawals to TBC Bank or Hash Bank, and the handful of Cryptomat machines marked buy and sell. Keep your records, because banks can ask where crypto-related money came from.

Can I buy property in Georgia with crypto?

Not directly. Georgian developers and agencies may not legally take crypto as payment, even when a listing says 'pay in USDT'. The compliant route is to price the contract in dollars or lari, sell your crypto at an NBG-registered provider, pay the seller in fiat with a receipt, and register ownership at the Public Registry. Since 1 March 2026 a property worth more than USD 150,000 can support a residence permit.

Which crypto exchange should I use in Georgia?

It depends on how your money moves. To send lari straight from your own bank, WhiteBIT takes GEL through TBC Bank and Hash Bank, and TBC customers can buy inside the bank's app, executed by Bybit Georgia. If a Georgian registration matters, Bybit Georgia (0019-9404) and WhiteBIT Georgia (0007-9404) are the only global brands on the NBG register; Binance is not. Binance, Bybit and OKX run active lari P2P markets, and CEX.IO and Kraken take USD or EUR cards.

Can I buy crypto with lari (GEL)?

Yes, though not everywhere. Cryptomat machines take lari cash, TBC customers can buy in the mobile bank, and NBG-registered local exchanges such as Cryptal accept Georgian cards for 2% and bank transfers for free. Among global exchanges, only WhiteBIT takes lari directly, through TBC Bank and Hash Bank. On Binance, Bybit and OKX you pay lari to another user via P2P. CEX.IO and Kraken have no GEL, so a Georgian card is charged in dollars or euros.

Where can I buy crypto in Tbilisi or Batumi?

Tbilisi has about 133 Cryptomat machines in supermarkets and malls, nine of which also buy crypto back for lari, plus roughly 35 registered providers clustered on Chavchavadze Avenue in Vake, Kazbegi Avenue in Saburtalo and around Rustaveli Avenue and Liberty Square. Batumi has 11 buy-only machines and registered offices on Khimshiashvili and Kaczynski streets near Orbi City and on Gorgiladze Street in Old Batumi. Check a desk's NBG number and message before you go.

Ready to buy your first crypto?

Open an account with a long-running exchange that holds US state money-transmitter licences and a UK FCA registration. Card purchases with Visa or Mastercard issued by Georgian banks.

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Smartphone showing crypto prices next to gold Bitcoin coins
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