Georgia's Tripzy Accepts Crypto Payments From Abroad Despite Local Bans

Cryptocurrency payments have gained significant traction globally, with many companies adopting new payment methods. However, several countries, including China, Indonesia, Russia, and Turkey, have prohibited crypto payments for retail users. Despite these domestic bans, legal experts suggest that using cryptocurrency for payments abroad may still be permissible. This is because the laws of a country typically apply only to events occurring within its borders or to its own citizens.

In early June 2025, the Georgian travel company Tripzy began accepting payments in Tether’s USDt (USDT) stablecoin. This move allows international clients to book services using the stablecoin, offering more freedom and convenience in payment, especially for guests from countries with currency restrictions or those who value the speed of transactions. Given that Georgia relies heavily on tourism from countries like Russia and Turkey, where crypto payments are restricted for residents, the new feature raises questions about the legality of cross-border payments for travelers from these jurisdictions.

However, there are no explicit laws prohibiting the use of cryptocurrency for payments made abroad. According to Yuriy Brisov, founder of D&A CryptoMap, Russian Federal Law No. 259 On Digital Financial Assets does not prohibit the use of cryptocurrency for payments made outside of Russia. The law only forbids residents from accepting crypto specifically for contractual purposes. Similarly, Turkish lawyer Meric Paldimoglu stated that when a Turkish citizen shops from a company based abroad, Turkish law does not apply. The Regulation on the Disuse of Crypto Assets in Payments specifically applies to licensed payment and electronic money institutions operating in Turkey.

While these regulatory overlaps do not create new explicit conflicts between jurisdictions that allow crypto payments and those that do not, they are likely to attract the attention of global authorities. If Georgian companies, like Tripzy, start accepting crypto from Russian tourists, this may be seen as a loophole by authorities in Brussels. If patterns emerge, the response could escalate, not from Russia but from the global system that enforces compliance. A single travel agency may not trigger any sanctions from European authorities, but if such practices become widespread, the situation could change.

These concerns align with recent warnings from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on the increasing role of stablecoins in facilitating illicit transactions. Since 2024, the use of stablecoins by illicit actors, including those from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and terrorist financiers, has risen, with most onchain illicit activity now involving stablecoins. The FATF has provided a detailed report on various Anti-Money Laundering (AML) measures taken by member countries and other jurisdictions and pledged to provide a targeted report on stablecoins in the first quarter of 2026.