Kazakhstan has been gradually positioning itself as a regional player in the blockchain and digital asset space for some time now. In the countries latest move, the National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) has proposed the creation of a national crypto reserve that would include Bitcoin.

The National Bank of Kazakhstan (NBK) is responsible not just for monetary policy, but also plays a broad role in managing various state assets and funds.

According to a recent publication by the Cointelegraph, the reserve would likely be funded through proceeds from government-controlled mining operations and digital assets seized in criminal cases. The idea would be to formalize the state’s role in the crypto economy while introducing a legal framework for managing such assets. Oversight would be handled by a dedicated institution, and the reserve would likely be managed under the oversight of the NBK.

In this image, the NBK responded to a parliamentary inquiry as of 22.6.25 in relation to digital assets, saying that they ‘‘support the establishment of a cryptocurrency reserve run by the state.

The proposal comes alongside Kazakhstan’s broader efforts to expand its digital asset infrastructure. The country recently launched a blockchain-focused economic zone in partnership with the Solana Foundation. The zone, called "Solana Superteam Kazakhstan," is part of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and is designed to support Web3 startups and train local talent.

Image from the Astana International Forum held this year, where the partnership with the Solana Foundation was announced.

Kazakhstan has also floated the idea of using excess energy such as flared gas for crypto mining, suggesting the government is looking to tie crypto activity into its existing energy and industrial base.

Digital assets continue to contribute to the local economy through tax revenue, driven not only by trading activity but also by mining operations within the crypto sector. Data sourced from Astana Times, Royal Thai Embassy in KZ

While the idea of a national crypto reserve is still at the proposal stage, it shows how Kazakhstan is experimenting with new approaches to digital assets without abandoning regulatory oversight.
Whether the reserve moves forward will likely depend on how the legal and operational frameworks develop in the months to come.

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