No country actually bans holding $BTC. Even China, which banned all crypto transactions in 2021, doesn't prosecute people for just holding coins.
What governments regulate is the intermediaries, not the holders. In Thailand, you can hold and trade freely—you just can't pay for coffee with crypto.
El Salvador tried forcing merchants to accept $BTC, but that's a different story. The reality? Most nations don't care if you stack sats. They care about exchanges, payment rails, and taxable events.
Holding is legal almost everywhere. Using it as currency? That's where the friction starts.
What governments regulate is the intermediaries, not the holders. In Thailand, you can hold and trade freely—you just can't pay for coffee with crypto.
El Salvador tried forcing merchants to accept $BTC, but that's a different story. The reality? Most nations don't care if you stack sats. They care about exchanges, payment rails, and taxable events.
Holding is legal almost everywhere. Using it as currency? That's where the friction starts.