[Azerbaijan Plans to Introduce Crypto Market Regulation Law This Year, Requiring Licensed Operations] According to Bits.media, Fidan Tofidi, Head of the Financial Technology and Innovation Department at the Central Bank of Azerbaijan, stated that the country's virtual asset market regulation bill has been drafted and submitted for review, with formal legislation expected within the year. The bill mandates that all companies engaged in cryptocurrency-related business must obtain a license issued by the central bank, and unauthorized entities are prohibited from operating within the country. Licensed institutions will be subject to ongoing supervision. The regulatory framework will cover compliance requirements such as anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorism financing (CTF), and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, and it will be incorporated into Azerbaijan's 2027–2030 Financial Market Development Strategy.