Cuba’s government has formally approved cryptocurrency use for cross-border corporate transactions for the first time. The move comes as sanctions have blocked access to the SWIFT payment system, with crypto being formalized as an institutional payment instrument to bypass financial regulations while addressing chronic dollar shortages and the current economic crisis.
Under Central Bank Resolution 4-2026, authorities issued licenses for cross-border crypto payments to ten enterprises, including software developers InheNius and Dopelayni, the restaurant La Calesa Real, the transport company La Mecánica, and the Prosa joint venture. Crypto payments are restricted to transactions directly related to each company’s stated business purposes, and all transfers must be conducted through a central bank–approved virtual asset service provider (VASP).
Licensed firms must file quarterly operating reports detailing transaction amounts, the types of cryptocurrency used, and intermediaries, with licenses subject to immediate revocation for violations. Regulators emphasize safeguards to prevent crypto from being misused for asset outflows or illicit remittance activities. Local media outlet Cuba Debates described the move as facilitating international trade amid tightening financial constraints and opening space for private-sector innovation.
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