Costa Rica Tech Group Unveils Sweeping AI and Blockchain Law Proposal

A newly formed private technology industry group has unveiled a sweeping legislative proposal that would set rules for artificial intelligence, blockchain, digital assets and how Costa Ricans control their personal data. The Framework Law on Digital Sovereignty and Emerging Technologies runs to 808 provisions. Because of its size and complexity, its authors plan to split it into eight separate, sector-specific bills rather than pursue it as a single piece of legislation.

The proposal was presented by the Chamber of Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies (CBIAT), which was formally launched alongside the initiative. The group describes itself as a private, nonprofit, multisector organization that brings together businesses, academia, the public sector, civil society and international cooperation partners.

The initiative is led by Stephanie Sánchez, the group’s president and an attorney specializing in new technologies and crypto-assets. Sánchez described it as a comprehensive, technology-neutral framework for issues that increasingly shape the economy, public services and daily life.

Sánchez said Costa Rica needs a technical and inclusive conversation that turns innovation into clear, enforceable rules that respect individual rights. She said the group is presenting the text as a starting point open to review, so that government, the private sector, academia and the technology community can help define the country’s digital future.

Daniela Avendaño, one of the group’s founders, said the group is not claiming to have all the answers. She said a transformation of this scale requires continued work and debate and cannot be taken lightly. The framework is organized around six areas. These include the protection of identity, privacy and digital rights; the safe, ethical and responsible governance of artificial intelligence and algorithmic systems; and greater legal certainty for blockchain, smart contracts, digital assets and tokenization.

It also covers digital identity and sovereignty, including individuals’ control over their own data; transparency, security and the modernization of public institutions’ technology infrastructure; and measures to strengthen investment, entrepreneurship, education, talent development and the country’s technological competitiveness.

According to Sánchez, the broader goal is to lay the groundwork for rights-based legislation that places people at the center of technological development. The first of the eight bills would serve as a foundational framework law setting out overarching principles and safeguards. Later bills would address narrower areas, including the classification of digital assets and market rules for exchange platforms.

Because CBIAT is a private organization, the bills would need to be formally introduced in the Legislative Assembly before any debate could begin. It was not immediately clear which lawmakers, if any, would sponsor them. The proposal enters an already crowded field. Costa Rica has no law specifically governing artificial intelligence, although several AI bills are pending in the Legislative Assembly, including bill 23.771, filed in May 2023, and bill 23.919, which received a favorable committee report in March 2025.

CBIAT has invited lawmakers, public institutions, businesses, academia, civil society and technology groups to take part in refining the text before it moves forward.