What happened
Australia's updated anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorism-financing rules came into force, extending AUSTRAC oversight and Travel Rule obligations to all virtual asset service providers (VASPs). In parallel, ASIC is administering licensing for digital assets structured as financial products alongside a dedicated platform licensing regime.
Why it matters here
Compliance obligations across multiple regulators require Australian crypto exchanges, custodians, and OTC desks to implement strict investor verification and transaction monitoring controls. Higher regulatory hurdles protect retail capital but increase operating overheads for local digital asset platforms.
What to watch
Upcoming ASIC regulatory guidance releases regarding platform licensing criteria and AUSTRAC compliance review notices for registered virtual asset service providers operating in Australia.
Source
scorechain.com