DASP License in El Salvador

Service Snapshot

Parameter	Details
Authority	National Commission of Digital Assets (CNAD)
Regulatory output	Definitive registration and authorization to operate
Foreign corporate applicants	Salvadoran company or a branch of a foreign company registered in El Salvador
Government charges	Initial registration and annual renewal fees, separate from professional fees
Review stage	Published maximum of 20 business days for definitive application evaluation
Gofaizen & Sherle service price	Quoted for the agreed scope

Is This the Right Fit for Your Business?

This route suits businesses providing covered digital asset services with a Salvadoran connection. The official registration guidance includes locally domiciled providers and foreign businesses actively marketing to potential clients in the country.

Exchanges, custody businesses and trading platforms should assess registration before launch. Software-only providers, proprietary investment vehicles and token issuers need a role-specific assessment. Incorporation alone does not authorize regulated services or grant access to overseas customer markets.

Which Regulatory Route Does Your Project Need?

Your planned activities determine which registration or approval you need. Providing services to customers, issuing tokens and certifying offerings have different requirements.

Your planned activity	Registration or approval needed	What it covers
Exchange digital assets, hold them for customers or operate a trading platform	DASP registration with CNAD	The services approved in your application. It does not automatically authorise a token offering.
Exchange Bitcoin, hold it for customers or process Bitcoin payments	Bitcoin Service Provider (BSP) registration with BCR, El Salvador’s Central Reserve Bank	Bitcoin services. Additional DASP requirements may apply depending on the business model.
Issue your own tokens to investors	Issuer registration and the applicable public or private offering procedure with CNAD	Your role as an issuer and the relevant offering. Providing services to other businesses requires a separate assessment.
Structure or market token offerings for clients	DASP registration with CNAD covering those services	Your work as a structurer or marketer. The client’s issuer registration and offering requirements remain separate.
Assess token offerings and prepare certification reports	Certifier registration with CNAD	Reviewing offering information and reporting on compliance. It does not authorise exchange or custody services.
Issue a stablecoin	Applicable issuer and stablecoin offering approvals from CNAD	Issuing the stablecoin. DASP registration alone does not approve its issuance.
Offer trading in an existing stablecoin	DASP registration with CNAD and verification of the stablecoin’s trading eligibility	Trading within your approved service scope. It does not authorise you to issue the stablecoin.

A project combining these activities may need several registrations or approvals. Brazil’s DASP regime, EU CASP authorisation and VASP registration elsewhere do not replace the permissions required in El Salvador.

Which Digital Asset Services Are Covered?

Article 19 of the Digital Assets Issuance Law covers:

• Exchange against fiat, equivalent money or other digital assets
• Trading platforms for digital assets or their derivatives
• Risk and price evaluation and subscription to issuances
• Placement on platforms or wallets
• Promotion, structuring and management of digital-asset investment products
• Third-party transfers, custody and administration
• Receipt and transmission of orders, and execution of derivative orders

The application must identify the services actually proposed. Token creation alone does not establish a provider role. Securities exposure, fiat payments and client-money arrangements require separate analysis.

What Does the Engagement Cost?

Gofaizen & Sherle provides an individual quote based on the work your business needs.

Engagement	Work Priced in the Proposal	What Affects Preparation Time
New DASP application	Company or branch setup, application documents, AML policies and CNAD filing support	Availability of corporate documents, staffing and platform readiness
Changes to an existing business	Review of existing documents, correction of gaps and support for changes to registered services	Missing documentation and the extent of operational changes
Ongoing compliance support	Agreed policy updates, corporate filings and regulatory support	Frequency of recurring tasks and applicable deadlines

The proposal specifies which services are included, their price and the preparation schedule. CNAD review is a separate stage and is not included in the preparation period.

Government registration and annual renewal fees are separate from G&S service fees. The applicable government charges are confirmed before payment.

Translations, notarisation, local staffing, technology, office and accounting costs should be budgeted separately unless expressly included in the quote.

What Should You Prepare for the Assessment?

Provide:

• shareholder
• UBO and director details
• existing corporate records
• supported assets
• target countries
• expected volumes
• funding evidence
• transaction-flow diagrams.

Include your custody model, platform status, banking needs, business plan and existing policies.

Identify gaps in staffing, customer support and cybersecurity early. The dossier must demonstrate operating capability, rather than rely on a future development plan.

How Long Does Preparation and Review Take?

Company formation, document preparation and technical implementation have project-specific durations. Pre-registration and responses to questions add separate dependencies.

The CNAD annual report, pages 56–57, describes up to 20 business days for definitive evaluation and payment within 10 days after a favorable decision. Requests for missing information have separate deadlines. These are individual stages, not a promised launch date. Banking follows its own assessment.

What Regulatory Framework Applies?

The Digital Assets Issuance Law, known as LEAD, establishes the provider regime. Article 18 addresses registration, Article 19 identifies services, Article 20 sets application requirements, and Article 21 governs provider obligations. The provider regulations develop operational standards. The official legal framework library also identifies separate rules for issuers, offerings and stablecoins.

Your authorization must match the business actually operated. Adding services, assets or a different commercial role requires a fresh assessment of the applicable requirements. Provider registration does not replace issuer or offering approvals.

Regulatory Aspect	Current Status
Application route	Pre-registration followed by definitive filing remains published
Supervisory model	Ongoing monitoring and risk-based supervision
Provider verification	Check the entity and authorized scope in the official public register

What Obligations Continue After Registration?

Registered companies must maintain:

• Corporate compliance: Renew business registration, hold annual shareholders’ meetings, appoint an external auditor and, where applicable, a fiscal auditor. Maintain a local tax and notification address.
• Dedicated Compliance Officers: Appoint principal and alternate officers who cannot hold the same position at other companies.
• AML controls: Maintain customer checks, transaction monitoring, records and reporting. Approve and document annual compliance and training plans, and train staff.
• Local Data Protection Officer: Appoint a local officer to oversee personal data protection compliance.
• Regulatory compliance: Complete DASP renewal in the first three months of each year and maintain a local regulatory contact.
• Operational safeguards: Protect customer assets, maintain cybersecurity, handle complaints, prevent market manipulation and report service prices and charges quarterly.

Gofaizen & Sherle supports filings, renewals, accounting, policy updates, training and local representation, and helps arrange Dedicated Compliance Officers and a Local Data Protection Officer.

How Does Gofaizen & Sherle Support Bank Account Applications?

Gofaizen & Sherle helps prepare your application for a bank, electronic money institution (EMI) or payment service provider (PSP), including:

• Ownership details and evidence of source of funds and wealth.
• Customer countries, counterparties and expected transaction volumes.
• AML controls and a clear distinction between company funds and customer payment flows.

For international operations, provider selection must account for supported countries, currencies and transfers. DASP registration does not guarantee account approval. Payment services may require additional permissions.

What Tax Benefits Can Apply?

Under Article 36 of the Digital Assets Issuance Law, qualifying digital asset activities benefit from:

• Tax exemptions on digital assets: Their nominal value, returns and income, including capital gains or ordinary income from sales and other transfers.
• Business tax exemptions: Registered DASPs, issuers and certifiers receive exemptions from income tax, VAT and municipal taxes on qualifying activities, together with relief from corresponding withholding obligations.
• Shareholder benefits: Exemptions extend to profits or dividends arising from those activities.

For DASPs, eligibility begins upon notification of definitive registration. These benefits do not cover every company activity. Article 36 excludes exchanges of digital assets for goods or services outside Article 19. Non-digital income and shareholders’ tax positions require individual assessment.