This Article Was First Published on TurkishNY Radio. Updated on 22nd October, 2025
October 22, 2025 A new draft law affecting crypto companies is causing concern among the Uruguayan startup community and blockchain developers.
The proposed PSAV (providers of virtual asset services) framework may reshape the categorization of NFTs and utility tokens or move them into a typical financial-asset regime.
Amidst this regulatory U-turn, the search keywords “Uruguay crypto law,” “NFT regulation Uruguay,” “utility token classification,” and “crypto startup compliance Uruguay” have gained more prominence on international platforms.
Uruguay Crypto Law’s Broad Rules Raise Alarm
The proposed law uses the term “financial virtual assets,” which looks likely to also include NFTs and utility tokens, despite not being traditionally financial in nature.
Critics, including the industry body Blockchain Chamber of Uruguay, allege that this wide-ranging categorization threatens to burden lone developers with onerous compliance obligations.
The Chambers recommends that NFT regulation in Uruguay be clear on the classification of utility tokens so as to prevent potentially expensive litigation and high operational risk.
In addition, the consultation period has been criticized for being too brief and not allowing enough time to conduct in-depth impact analysis, particularly for smaller teams that do not have access to well-heeled lawyers.
The fear is that the one-size-fits-all licensing system could end up stifling the early-stage token issuers and NFT marketplaces.
Single-License Model May Stifle Smaller Enterprises
The proposal includes a single authorization regime for all PSAVs, irrespective of the number of transactions or size of business.
Opponents observe that this is at the expense of flexibility and economies of scale, making it disproportionately expensive for smaller Uruguay-based start-ups to comply.
In the space of keywords, “crypto startup compliance Uruguay” and also “Uruguay crypto law” are still, according to many stakeholders, main dishes, as with a growing process, leaders require understandings matching their maturity in business processes.
Uruguay’s payments system had adopted a tier-based regulatory model where regulations become more demanding as the business grows, a role that industry players think should also be played by PSAVs.
In the other case, smaller projects would have a barrier of entry with compliance, and that could block the small token launch, ecosystem expansion, and innovation.
No Sandbox, No Opportunity to Experiment
Its members urged for a regulatory sandbox to help develop experimentation with tokens, NFTs, and utility ecosystems. Without a sandbox, token issuers and NFT creators in Uruguay are fully exposed on day 1.
“NFT regulation Uruguay” and “utility token classification” are focused on the pressing discussion about how to enable new models to take shape in a controlled manner.
Supporters say sandbox regimes allow more reactive supervision and better product testing. A lack of such a regulatory skeleton in the current draft could drive both talent and capital to markets that are considered more friendly to blockchain innovation.
Market Snapshot Adds Context
At the time of writing, the wider crypto industry proves to be strong, despite local regulatory quakes. Bitcoin For instance, Bitcoin is trading above $108,000, already mirroring a 1.7% decline over the past 24 hours.
Ethereum, meanwhile, is hovering around $3,960 after a slight dip. While they are not directly linked to Uruguay, both numbers show the backdrop of a worldwide crypto context where local regulations are made.
What’s Next for the Keywords
As the draft decree nears final passage, attention on “Uruguay crypto law,” “NFT regulation Uruguay,” “utility token classification,” and “crypto startup compliance Uruguay” may grow.
Industry participants will be watching to see how definitions are finalized, whether tiered licensing is introduced, and if the government will establish a sandbox.
Any additional clear language on what defines a financial virtual asset and exceptions for truly utility-based or NFT-focused tokens could have huge implications for local issuance volumes, international investment, and Uruguay’s place within the LatAm blockchain ecosystem.
For now, regulatory uncertainty is an overhang.
Final Thoughts
The Uruguay framework is a landmark moment for token and NFT innovation in the country.
How we resolve these critical problems of classification, licensing, scalability, and blockchain accessibility in a sandbox will help determine if Uruguay becomes the next crypto-friendly jurisdiction or prevents startups from making progress.
Clearer information about the NFT regulation in Uruguay, the utility token definition, and the crypto startup compliance process in Uruguay will be important to find out how innovative companies can work within a certain level of governance.
Summary
Uruguay’s proposed crypto law may classify NFTs and utility tokens as financial assets, which could increase compliance requirements.
The Blockchain Chamber of Uruguay cautions the draft’s ambiguous definitions could damage startups.
One licensing model might place a burden on small firms short of capital.
No regulatory sandbox provision, no experimental potential.
Industry experts call for clearer definitions and the adoption of a tiered compliance approach that will foster innovation while guaranteeing transparency and security.
Glossary of Key Terms
1. Uruguay Crypto Law
A proposed traffic code in Uruguay to regulate how cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and token-based businesses operate, as would a traffic code on digital money.
2. NFT (Non-Fungible Token)
A one-of-a-kind digital asset, a collectible card or piece of artwork, for instance, that’s stored on a blockchain and certifies ownership and authenticity of a certain item.
3. Utility Token
A digital token that is employed to access some service or features provided by a blockchain.
4. Virtual Asset Service Provider (PSAV)
Businesses or individuals that provide crypto-related services, like exchanges or wallets analogous to banks for digital assets.
5. Blockchain Chamber of Uruguay
A consortium of local crypto and blockchain companies that offers feedback on regulations and promotes fairness among startups.
6. Regulatory Sandbox
A safe experimental zone for new crypto projects, where they can operate under looser rules temporarily, much like when you have a learner’s permit to drive.
7. Financial Virtual Asset
A virtual asset that operates in a way similar to a financial product as we currently know it, like stocks or bonds, and could be subject to stringent government regulation.
8. Compliance Requirements
The things a business has to do to stay legal, kind of like record-keeping and identity checks and reporting the transactions, so that there is safety and transparency in their dealings with crypto.
Frequently Asked Questions About Uruguay’s Crypto Law
1: What is the Uruguay crypto law?
To keep players on, the Uruguay crypto law suggests covering virtual asset providers (VAPs), NFTs, and tokens that would regulate their activities, visibility, compliance, and consumer protection in the national crypto vertical.
2: What the Uruguay crypto law could mean for NFT projects
Wide-ranging definitions in the Uruguay crypto law may consider NFTs to be financial assets, increasing legal overhead and reducing flexibility for small creators as well as blockchain startups.
3: Is there compliance support or any sandbox in Uruguay’s crypto law?
Not at the moment, no, with industry leaders calling for a regulatory sandbox to help startups test crypto projects without being at full compliance debts from inception.
4: What happens next for crypto regulation in Uruguay?
The Bank of Uruguay is considering alternative definitions as the task force seeks feedback and could establish tiered licensing for different types of crypto-related operations and spell out compliance safeguards in the lead-up to enacting a law, he added.
