AUSTRAC

Australia

2026-10-01 10:02:07

Australia’s crypto rulebook enters a dual-track phase as AUSTRAC registration and new platform licensing move in parallel

Australia is moving into a transition period for digital asset regulation after the Treasury Laws Amendment (Digital Asset Framework) Act 2026 received royal assent on April 8, 2026. The law will take effect on April 8, 2027 and brings Digital Asset Platforms (DAPs) and Tokenised Custody Platforms (TCPs) into the financial product regime. In practice, that means many operators will need an Australian Financial Services Licence, or AFSL, with obligations tied to custody, disclosure, trading processes, settlement, and platform rules. At the same time, the current framework is already tightening. AUSTRAC expanded the scope of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing rules for virtual asset service providers from March 31, 2026, while ASIC’s no-action period for existing financial services licensing issues ends on June 30, 2026. Firms serving Australian users now face overlapping demands: they must assess whether their tokens or services already fall within the Corporations Act, determine whether AUSTRAC registration is required, and prepare for the 2027 platform regime and its six-month transition window. The framework also shows how fragmented Australian oversight remains. ASIC handles financial products and platform licensing, AUSTRAC covers AML and CTF, APRA watches prudential risk for large stored-value institutions, the Reserve Bank of Australia focuses on payments and settlement policy, and the Australian Taxation Office oversees recordkeeping tied to disposals and gains. Stablecoin issuers and tokenized real-world asset platforms may end up dealing with several of those tracks at once.

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Donald Trump

2026-09-09 01:14:40

Crypto roundup: Trump defends his stock trading, YZi Labs ranks No. 2 among active family offices in August

A wide set of crypto, regulatory and corporate developments landed over the past 24 hours, led by a new post from U.S. President Donald Trump, fresh family-office investment data, enforcement action in Australia, and a string of market and infrastructure updates across Bitcoin, DeFi and payments. Trump said on Truth Social that he had made "hundreds of billions of dollars" for the United States through stocks and other assets and added that he was doing it "for our country, not for myself." Reuters had previously reported that ethics filings showed Trump disclosed at least $220 million and as much as roughly $750 million in personal securities trades in the first three months of 2026. On the investment side, FINTRX data cited by Jiaoban Xinzhi Dian showed that Binance founder Changpeng Zhao’s YZi Labs ranked as the world’s second-most active family office in August, taking part in 10 funding rounds with a combined disclosed round size of $42.1 million. The same dataset showed family offices participated in 109 deals during the month, with disclosed financing totaling $16.9 billion. Elsewhere, Australia’s AUSTRAC said it had canceled, suspended or refused to renew registrations for 45 crypto and remittance businesses over the past year. Market commentary from Two Prime and Wintermute focused on Bitcoin’s rebound, ETF inflows and key price levels, while other developments included Liquid Network fund returns, Cronos’ rollback after the Tectonic exploit, Circle’s deal for Tazapay, and broader stablecoin and banking moves in Brazil, Switzerland and South Korea.

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AUSTRAC

2026-09-08 06:22:12

AUSTRAC removes 45 crypto and remittance registrations in a year, names GetCoins and probes Western Union

Australia’s financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC said it has canceled, suspended, or refused to renew the registrations of 45 crypto and remittance businesses over the past year, covering virtual asset service providers and traditional money transfer firms. The agency said the removals were tied to businesses that had ceased operating, entered insolvency, failed to report major changes, submitted inaccurate registration details, or presented money laundering and terrorism financing risks. AUSTRAC specifically identified BA Digital Ventures, which operated as GetCoins, as a case in point. Its virtual asset registration was revoked in June 2026 after numerous customer complaints, and the regulator said the platform had been used by organized crypto investment scam groups as a channel for victim acquisition and payments. AUSTRAC said it worked with the National Anti-Scam Centre to revoke the registration. The agency has also opened an investigation into Western Union and suspended Cryptolink’s crypto ATM network, extending scrutiny beyond crypto-native firms to broader cross-border payment operators.

450

Australia

2026-09-08 05:23:09

Australia Cancels 45 Crypto Remittance Registrations in Past Year

Australia's financial intelligence agency, AUSTRAC, has canceled, suspended, or refused renewal of 45 cryptocurrency and remittance registrations over the past year, targeting services that are inactive, insolvent, or incapable of proper operation. Among them, GetCoins, a brand under BA Digital Ventures, had its virtual asset service provider registration revoked in June over suspected ties to organized crypto investment scams. AUSTRAC also launched an investigation into Western Union and suspended Cryptolink's crypto ATM network. The full list of 45 entities was not disclosed, but the public VASP register includes Cryptolink, Self Custody, Jam Xchange, and Coinsec Australia.

900

Australia

2026-09-08 05:26:49

Australia’s AUSTRAC Cancels, Suspends, or Refuses to Renew 45 Crypto and Remittance Service Registrations in Past Year

Australia's financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC has canceled, suspended, or refused renewal for 45 cryptocurrency and remittance service providers over the past year in a bid to tighten oversight of high-risk payment businesses. The affected firms faced issues such as inactivity, insolvency, lack of operational capacity, failure to report material changes, and significant money laundering or terrorism financing risks. AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas stated that canceled registrations cannot continue operations, with some individuals referred to domestic and international law enforcement. Notably, BA Digital Ventures, operating as GetCoins, had its virtual asset registration canceled in June due to customer complaints, allegedly exploited by organized crypto investment fraud, in collaboration with the National Anti-Scam Centre. The public VASP register also lists recent actions against Cryptolink, Self Custody, Jam Xchange, and Coinsec Australia. Additionally, AUSTRAC has launched an investigation into Western Union and suspended Cryptolink's cryptocurrency ATM network.

970

Nexo

2026-08-19 10:20:27

Nexo rolls out regulated crypto-backed credit lines in Australia

Nexo Australia has launched regulated crypto-backed credit lines that let eligible users borrow Australian dollars or stablecoins against their digital assets without selling them. The company said the product went live after Nexo Australia became a credit representative under Australia’s National Consumer Credit Protection Act. Funds are generally available within 24 hours, repayments are flexible, and there is no fixed term or origination fee. Interest rates range from 0.9% to 21.9%, depending on the type of credit line and the client’s loyalty tier. Nexo Australia general manager Peter Stanhope said customers can choose between Smart and Standard credit lines, with differences centered on rates, supported assets and how collateral is handled if the loan-to-value ratio rises. Nexo also warned that borrowing against digital assets carries margin-call and liquidation risk, meaning clients could lose part or all of their collateral if prices fall. The launch puts Nexo among a small group of crypto platforms offering regulated crypto-backed lending products in Australia.

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Australia

2026-08-10 21:02:43

Australia Suspends Largest Crypto ATM Operator as AUSTRAC Signals Broader Enforcement Push

Australia’s financial-crime regulator has suspended the registration of Cryptolink Pty Ltd, the country’s largest Bitcoin and crypto ATM operator, in a move that points to wider scrutiny of the sector. The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre, or AUSTRAC, said the company’s Virtual Asset Service Provider registration will be suspended for three months from August 9 after it failed to keep up with anti-money-laundering reporting requirements. According to AUSTRAC, the company met the terms of an earlier enforceable undertaking but later failed to satisfy basic reporting duties, especially threshold transaction reports for cash transfers above a set limit, and did not respond to requests for information. The regulator said that left the business too risky to keep operating for now. The action comes even after Cryptolink paid a $56,340 fine in October 2025. AUSTRAC data shows Australia now has roughly 1,800 crypto ATMs, up from 23 in 2019, the highest count in the Asia-Pacific region. The Australian Federal Police has said about $275 million flows through the country’s Bitcoin and crypto ATMs each year.

1860

AUSTRAC

2026-08-10 04:45:52

AUSTRAC Suspends Cryptolink's VASP Registration for 3 Months, Halting Bitcoin ATMs

Australia's financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC has suspended Cryptolink's VASP registration for three months starting Sunday, forcing the digital asset ATM operator to halt its bitcoin ATM operations. The regulator said Cryptolink failed to meet basic reporting obligations, including submitting threshold transaction reports and responding to information requests. The suspension follows a court-enforceable undertaking signed in October 2025 and a A$56,300 penalty notice earlier issued for late reporting and inadequate risk assessments. Cryptolink operates 96 ATMs across Australia, mostly in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

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