Kazakhstan to Officially Launch Digital Tenge on July 18

Kazakhstan officially launches its central bank digital currency, the digital tenge, on 18 July 2026, following legislative amendments that recognise it as legal tender alongside cash. The National Bank will issue and manage digital tenge through a dedicated platform, with banks and payment providers offering access via their existing apps. If you're building payments or treasury tech in Central Asia, the rail just changed. Kazakhstan's central bank is now the issuer and sole operator - every fintech that wants to offer digital tenge must integrate with their platform, not build around it.