What is Cook Islands's FATF status?

Cook Islands is classified by FATF as: fsrb_only.

Are VASPs licensed in Cook Islands?

Yes — licensing is required for VASPs.

What is the AML/KYC regime in Cook Islands?

KYC is mandatory for crypto businesses.

Cook Islands

The Cook Islands Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) oversees financial services including banks, insurers, money-changing, remittance businesses, and trustee companies. There is no explicit mention of cryptocurrency regulation, licensing, or taxation in the provided text, leaving the crypto regulatory status unclear.

Overview

Status	unknown
Risk Score	65/100 (High Risk)
Region	asia pacific
Currency	NZD

Tax Information

Capital Gains (Personal)	0% - no income tax for individuals
Capital Gains (Corporate)	20% CIT
VAT on Crypto	No
Staking Tax	N/A
Airdrop Tax	N/A

No crypto-specific tax guidance available.

Licensing & Registration

Required	Yes
Regulator	FSC
Framework	Financial Supervisory Commission regulatory framework
Ease	unknown

Licensing applies to traditional financial institutions; no explicit mention of crypto-specific licenses.

Enforcement Activity

Level: Moderate

No detailed enforcement information available

AML / KYC

KYC Required	Yes
Travel Rule	No
FATF Member	No
FATF Status	fsrb_only
FATF Body	APG
Suspicious-Activity Reporting	Yes

DeFi, Stablecoins & NFTs

Status: unregulated

Stablecoins

Status: unregulated

NFTs

Status: unregulated

Mining

Legal	Yes
Electricity Cost	$0.3/kWh
Renewable Energy	15%
Infrastructure	fair

Electricity costs are high compared to global averages; limited renewable energy share; infrastructure adequate but not advanced for large-scale mining.

Geopolitical Risk

Stability	stable
Sanctions	No
Corruption Index	55/100
Banking Access	moderate

Risk Factors

geographic isolation
limited infrastructure
small market size

Cook Islands is politically stable with no international sanctions. Moderate corruption and ease of business. Internet freedom is good, but banking access for crypto companies is moderate due to small financial sector.