Kazakhstan Set to Launch Digital Gold Coin Project for Investment

The National Bank of Kazakhstan has announced the launch of its Gold Coin project, a digital investment coin set to begin on March 17.

The coin’s value is pegged to 1/20 of a troy ounce of gold, fluctuating based on global gold prices, The Caspian Post reports, citing The Times of Central Asia.

According to the National Bank, the Gold Coin project aims to offer Kazakhstani citizens an alternative investment tool, integrating digital assets with modern financial technology. One unit of the Gold Coin corresponds to 1/20 of a troy ounce of gold (with one troy ounce equaling 31.1035 grams). The coin’s value will be determined by the price of gold, as set by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), and the official exchange rate of the tenge against the U.S. dollar on the preceding day of a transaction. As of the evening of March 13, the price of gold on the London Stock Exchange stood at $2,924.80 per troy ounce.

“The new investment instrument will be available through the Tabys mobile application of the Astana International Exchange (AIX), part of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). Users will be able to buy, sell, and gift Gold Coins online. Additionally, holders who accumulate 20 units of Gold Coin can exchange them for a physical ÚKI gold investment coin at National Bank branches nationwide. The ÚKI coin will be introduced into circulation on March 17, 2025,” the National Bank stated in a press release​.

The ÚKI gold coin was unveiled in February 2025 at the World Money Fair in Berlin, the world’s largest numismatic event. The fair gathers central banks, mints, coin production companies, designers, and numismatic publishers. Kazakhstan’s National Bank presented the ÚKI coin, which is made of 99.99% pure gold (Au 999.9), weighs 31.1 grams, and has a face value of 100 tenge. The coin will also be available for purchase via the Tabys application​.

At the end of 2024, the National Bank of Kazakhstan issued commemorative collector coins, including S. Nurmagambetov. 100 JYL from the “Outstanding Events and People” series and Alexander the Great from the “Great Commanders” series. The first coin, honoring Kazakhstan’s first Minister of Defense and national hero Sagadat Nurmagambetov, is made of cupronickel (MN 25), weighs 15 grams, has a face value of 200 tenge, and was minted in a quantity of 5,000. The Alexander the Great coin is made of sterling silver, weighs 31.1 grams, has a face value of 1,000 tenge (approximately $2), and was issued in a limited run of 2,000 copies​.