Direct answer
In Chile bitcoin is normally bought on an exchange, with a bank transfer in pesos when the platform offers it or by buying USDT via P2P. The Fintech Law (Ley 21.521) requires anyone providing services such as custody or intermediation of financial instruments to be entered in the Registro de Prestadores de Servicios Financieros of the Comisión para el Mercado Financiero (CMF), whose transition period ended on 3 February 2025. Before you deposit, look the provider up in that register and read what the CMF publishes.
What the regulator publishes
The Comisión para el Mercado Financiero (CMF) applies Ley 21.521, the "Ley Fintec". The law creates the Registro de Prestadores de Servicios Financieros (RPSF), where anyone professionally providing services such as crowdfunding platforms, alternative trading systems, intermediation, order routing, credit advice, investment advice and custody of financial instruments must be registered. Norma de Carácter General N° 502 of 2024 governs registration and authorisation.
The CMF itself has explained that the Ley Fintec defines crypto-assets as digital representations of value and that, when they qualify as financial instruments, custody, intermediation, alternative trading systems, order routing and advice involving them require registration in the RPSF and CMF authorisation. The law also reserves the regulation of stablecoins to the Banco Central.
On 4 February 2025 the CMF reported that the transition period had ended on 3 February 2025: since then only entities that are registered and authorised, or that filed their application within the deadline and were not rejected, may provide Ley Fintec services. The CMF stated that those operating without having applied for registration "are operating outside the legal framework". The register and pending applications can be consulted on the CMF website.
Registration in the RPSF is not a CMF guarantee of your funds or of the price of crypto-assets. Also check which entity (Chilean or foreign) appears in the exchange's terms of use and whether it is the same one that appears in the register.
Tax authority
The Servicio de Impuestos Internos (SII) publishes frequently asked questions on digital assets. According to the SII, the sale of cryptocurrencies is not subject to VAT because they are intangible (Oficio N° 963 of 2018), but the gains (mayor valor) obtained when selling them are taxable income: for individuals, the Impuesto Global Complementario or the Impuesto Adicional depending on residence.
In September 2025 the SII reported audits of crypto-asset transactions and reminded providers that they must file sworn returns with information about their users (Resoluciones 113 and 114, returns 1963 and 1964), and that Chile will exchange information under the CARF standard. Keep the acquisition cost of each transaction in pesos and confirm your case with an accountant.
How people usually fund an account
The usual approach is to buy USDT via P2P, paying another user by bank transfer in Chilean pesos, or to deposit CLP directly when the exchange offers that method in Chile; check under "Add funds" in the app, because availability changes by platform and verification level. With the USDT balance you buy BTC on the spot market.
Credit and debit cards usually appear with higher fees than a transfer. To withdraw pesos, a platform that allows it will ask for a bank account in your own name and your RUT.
Rules that do not change with the country: always pay and receive from accounts in your own name (platforms reject third-party payments, and a request for one is the first sign of fraud); in a P2P purchase the seller must not release the crypto until the money shows as credited in their bank, and you must not mark the order as paid without having paid; and when you deposit or withdraw crypto, the network you choose must be the same at origin and destination, because a transfer over the wrong network is normally lost for good. Make a small test transaction before moving larger amounts.
Check before you start
- Look the provider up in the CMF Registro de Prestadores de Servicios Financieros and check whether it is authorised or has an application pending.
- Check in the terms of use which entity of the exchange serves you in Chile.
- Have a valid cédula de identidad or passport ready for identity verification (KYC).
- Confirm whether your account allows direct CLP deposits and withdrawals or only P2P.
- Check withdrawal limits and network fees before your first deposit.
- Keep the acquisition cost in pesos: the SII taxes the gain and receives information from providers.
- Be wary of "advisers" who ask for access to your account, platforms that promise fixed returns in crypto, and P2P sellers who ask to be paid outside the order.
Related guides and tools
- Binance Signup Guide 2026: Web, App, KYC and Referral Code
- How to Make a Small First Bitcoin Purchase
- P2P Crypto Buying Safety for Beginners
- Crypto Tax Recordkeeping Basics for Beginners
- How to Choose Your First Crypto Exchange
- Crypto Exchange Comparison 2026: Fees, Liquidity, Products & Regional Fit
- All countries
Official sources
This page summarizes what official bodies publish as of the date shown. It is not legal or tax advice and does not say that any exchange is licensed in this country.
