Türkiye's Crypto Licensing Deadline Has No Date. What the SPK Decided Since 2024

The short version: Türkiye brought crypto-asset service providers under the Capital Markets Board (SPK) with Law 7518, published on 2 July 2024 (Resmî Gazete). On 26 March 2026 the SPK decided (decision 18/617) that the deadline for providers on its operating list to obtain authorisation, and the deadline for platforms to file custody agreements, will be set only after SPK-authorised custodians “begin providing crypto-asset custody services to platforms widely” (our translation; SPK bulletin 2026/18). No new date has been published as of 21 Oct 2026.

The Steps

• 2 July 2024: Law 7518 amends Capital Markets Law 6362 (Resmî Gazete).
• 13 March 2025: SPK communiqués III-35/B.1 (establishment and operation) and III-35/B.2 (working rules and capital adequacy) published in Resmî Gazete 32840, as recorded in SPK bulletin 2025/15.
• 5 September 2025: decision 48/1627 moves the deadline for independent information-systems audit reports from 30 September to 31 December 2025 (SPK bulletin 2025/47).
• 4 December 2025: decision 63/2219 extends the deadline for platforms to sign and file custody agreements to 31 March 2026 (SPK bulletin 2025/61).
• 26 March 2026: decision 18/617 leaves both deadlines open (SPK bulletin 2026/18).
• 4 Jun 2026: the first operating permits, for three banks as crypto-asset custodians (SPK bulletin 2026/34).

Why Custodians Matter

Under the 18/617 decision the next date depends on custodians. 3 of them, all banks, hold an SPK operating permit as crypto-asset custodians. Until a date is set, the 52 companies on the operating list keep operating without authorisation, as the SPK's own note on the list says (SPK).