ASIC extends crypto licensing relief to Sept. 30 as 30 firms apply

Australia's top financial regulator gave crypto businesses three more months to secure licenses, extending a transition period that has already drawn about 30 applications.

Australia's corporate watchdog extended temporary enforcement relief for digital asset firms to Sept. 30, giving crypto businesses an additional three months to secure licenses under updated guidance that brought more crypto products inside the country's financial services regime.

"The extension provides additional time for digital asset businesses to engage with the licensing pathway," ASIC said in a statement on June 26, noting it had received about 30 license applications since updating its Information Sheet 225 guidance in October 2025.

The no-action position, first introduced alongside the INFO 225 update, now also covers firms operating through authorized representative and intermediary arrangements with existing license holders. The relief applies to businesses seeking Australian Financial Services licenses as well as those requiring market or clearing and settlement authorizations. ASIC said firms seeking market or clearing licenses must notify the regulator in writing and hold a pre-meeting by the September deadline.

The extension is separate from Australia's Digital Asset Framework, passed in April and scheduled to commence on April 9, 2027. ASIC has warned that firms licensed under the current guidance may need additional authorizations — specifically Digital Asset Platform and Tokenized Custody Platform designations — once the new framework takes effect.

The regulator's interpretation was recently reinforced by the High Court's Block Earner ruling, which found that the company's former crypto yield product was a financial product under the Corporations Act, ASIC said. Major platforms have already moved to comply. Coinbase secured an AFS license in Australia in April, while BitMart announced it had obtained one in June under the country's new Digital Assets Framework.

For smaller firms, the extra three months reduces the immediate risk of enforcement disruption. For larger operators, the deadline reinforces the need to align crypto products with Australia's financial services regime — a process that will only intensify once the 2027 framework takes effect.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.