Turkey's new crypto regulation deadline: platforms must complete custody and infrastructure compliance by March 2026

BearMarketSage · 2026-01-26T01:28:06+00:00

Turkish crypto asset service providers face significant compliance requirements, requiring them to complete agreements with custodians and related technical integrations by March 31, 2026, to meet the standards of the Capital Markets Board and TÜBİTAK. Failure to comply will result in non-compliance handling.

BearMarketSage

2026-01-26 01:28:06

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Source: BTCHaber Original Title: Critical Turn in Turkey’s Cryptocurrency Regulations: Deadline March 31 Original Link: Turkey’s operations for crypto asset service providers(KVHS) have entered a critical phase. According to the secondary regulations issued by the Capital Markets Board(SPK) in March 2025, crypto asset platforms are required to complete a series of compliance requirements by the deadline of March 31, 2026.

Key Compliance Requirements

According to Notice III-35/B.1 issued by the SPK, institutions that complete their license applications by June 30 must fulfill the following tasks by March 31, 2026:

Sign custody agreements with at least one custodian
Establish a mutual agreement framework with the custodian, completing necessary technical processes and integrations
Submit relevant contracts to the Capital Markets Board

TÜBİTAK Infrastructure Standards Compliance

TÜBİTAK’s standards for information systems and technical infrastructure for KVHS require crypto asset service providers to cooperate with local Turkish custodians. The standards specify:

The primary and secondary(backup) systems used during initialization and backup processes, including security hardware and related software, servers, etc., must be located within Turkey
Private keys and the software and servers managing these keys must not be moved outside Turkey
Custody technology providers must comply with TÜBİTAK standards

According to Abdulkadir Kahraman, General Manager of Paribu Crypto Asset Custody, Turkey’s crypto regulatory framework takes a clear stance on asset protection. Regulators require custodians to be able to access user assets when necessary and establish legal channels for contact. This means that merely obtaining custody technology from service providers will no longer be sufficient after March 2026.

Technical Requirements for Custody Services

TÜBİTAK infrastructure standards specify detailed requirements for wallet security in crypto asset custody services, aiming to ensure digital sovereignty of Turkey’s crypto ecosystem:

Cold wallets must be completely offline
Hot wallet private keys must be protected within secure hardware or environments
Key management is to be performed solely by relevant KVHS
Transfer transactions require multi-signature and threshold cryptography
Authorized users must use multi-factor authentication
All transactions must be recorded in an auditable manner
Information security policies are to be formulated by senior management
Operational details such as address definitions, key ownership, and transfer restrictions should have clear policy guidelines

Platforms that fail to meet compliance by March 31, 2026, will be considered non-compliant with TÜBİTAK regulations.

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OffchainOracle

· 13h ago

Once again, it's all about compliance. Turkey is really pushing exchanges to the limit. --- By the end of March next year? That timeline is a bit tight. Many small platforms are probably going to fail. --- There are still many pitfalls in custody agreements. Finding a reliable institution is more difficult than anything else. --- This is a deadline where if you're late, there's no hope. Platforms that are already in operation are okay. --- Every time regulators step in, infrastructure has to be changed, and operational costs are likely to increase again.

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ContractHunter

· 13h ago

Turkey is at it again, this time really tightening the screws... Before March 2026, they still need to find a custodial institution. By the way, are there any reliable ones?

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AirdropChaser

· 14h ago

Being compliant and being custodial at the same time, this local project really doesn't make things easy for people March 2026? Seems like enough time, but these platforms are probably going to burn through money again I see through SPK's approach; they just want to push small exchanges out Can someone in Turkey really get it done on time? I'm a bit skeptical Compliance, to put it simply, is just paying protection fees

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nft_widow

· 14h ago

Another deadline, Turkey is really cracking down here. --- 2026 is still early, but custody might cause some issues again. --- SPK's actions are getting faster and faster, it feels like they are rushing to establish regulations. --- Platforms need to find custodians quickly, or they'll all have to shut down. --- This pace... there will definitely be new surprises around this time next year.

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