[Dominican Republic's New Criminal Code Mentions Crypto Assets for the First Time, Limited to Combating Pyramid Scheme Fraud] According to CriptoNoticias, the Dominican Republic's new Criminal Code, Law No. 74-25, officially came into effect in August, marking the first time crypto assets are mentioned in legislation. However, this is limited to criminalizing the use of crypto assets in pyramid scheme fraud, without providing a comprehensive regulatory framework. Article 240 of the law explicitly includes crypto assets under the category of fraud crimes, but Article 237, which addresses general fraud provisions, does not mention digital assets. As a result, everyday activities such as buying, storing, and paying with crypto assets are not regulated by this law. The local Bitcoin community, Bitcoin Dominicana, considers this a "small but significant step," though comprehensive regulatory legislation in the country remains stalled—two bills submitted in March 2026 are still pending in the House of Representatives. These bills address issues such as crypto asset taxation, certification, and the establishment of a National Digital Asset Commission.