The AFSL tracker
Australia's Digital Assets Framework (assented 8 April 2026) requires crypto platforms to hold an Australian Financial Services Licence when the regime commences on 9 April 2027. Platforms wanting transitional relief must lodge their licence application by 30 September 2026 — a deadline ASIC extended from 30 June. This page tracks who's already licensed, who's in transition, and who isn't — refreshed automatically from primary sources.
2
platforms fully licensed
4
on transitional relief or applying
24
days to apply — 30 Sep 2026 cut-off
9 Apr 2027
deadline: licence or leave
How Australia got here
- 1 2023–2024
Consultation
Treasury consults on regulating digital asset platforms as financial products — the "regulate the platform, not the token" model.
- 2 2025
Legislation
The Digital Assets Framework bill is introduced and debated, settling the licensing perimeter and transitional arrangements.
- 3 8 Apr 2026
Assent
The framework becomes law. ASIC transitional relief lets registered platforms keep operating while applications are processed.
- 4 1 Jul 2026
Travel Rule
AUSTRAC's reformed AML regime bites: crypto transfers must carry sender and recipient information, and virtual asset service providers face full transaction-monitoring obligations.
- 5 30 Sep 2026
Application deadline
ASIC's extended cut-off (moved from 30 June) for platforms to lodge licence applications and keep operating under transitional relief — announced June 2026, alongside broader eligibility for intermediary structures.
- 6 9 Apr 2027
Commencement
The regime bites: platforms serving Australians above the small-scale exemption must hold an AFSL — or stop.
What holding an AFSL actually requires
A licence isn't a sticker — it's a set of ongoing obligations that address the specific ways crypto platforms have historically failed their customers:
ASIC oversight
Licensees answer to ASIC: conduct obligations, breach reporting, and the power to suspend or cancel a licence that's abused.
Capital & solvency
Minimum financial resources and solvency requirements — a buffer between a platform's bad quarter and your assets.
Custody standards
Client asset segregation and custody obligations, so customer coins aren't working capital — the failure mode behind FTX and every collapse like it.
Real dispute resolution
Membership of AFCA, the external dispute resolution scheme — a complaints path that ends somewhere other than the platform's own support queue.
The tracker
Reading the statuses: ✓ Licensed cleared the bar early; ◌ Transitional relief is the normal, compliant state until 2027; ✕ None known deserves your questions as the deadline nears.
| Platform | AUSTRAC | AFSL status | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coinbase Australia | ✓ Registered | ✓ Licensed · #541612 | Full AFSL granted 8 Apr 2026 — first crypto exchange licensed under the new framework | link |
| eToro AUS Capital | ✓ Registered | ✓ Licensed · #491139 | Holds AFSL 491139 (multi-asset); digital-asset authorisation under the new regime to be confirmed | link |
| Binance Australia | ✓ Registered | ◌ Transitional relief | Spot operating under transitional relief; derivatives licence surrendered 2023 | link |
| Bybit | ✕ not registered | ✕ None known | Not AUSTRAC-registered; excluded from CryptoList directory per listing policy | |
| CoinSpot | ✓ Registered | ◌ Transitional relief | Operating under ASIC transitional relief; AFSL application status unconfirmed | link |
| Kraken (Bit Trade) | ✓ Registered | ◌ Transitional relief | Operating under transitional relief; 2024 enforcement resolved | link |
| Swyftx | ✓ Registered | ◌ Transitional relief | Operating under ASIC transitional relief (extended to 30 Sep 2026); AFSL application status unconfirmed | link |
Last checked 22 July 2026 · re-verified automatically · sources & method
Why this matters: after 9 April 2027, an unlicensed platform (outside the small-scale exemption) can't legally serve Australians. Licensing brings capital requirements, dispute resolution and ASIC oversight — the strongest consumer-protection upgrade Australian crypto has had. We alert on every status change.
FAQ
Does AUSTRAC registration mean a platform is licensed?
No — and the difference matters. AUSTRAC registration is an anti-money-laundering obligation: identity checks and transaction reporting. It says nothing about capital, custody or conduct. The AFSL is the consumer-protection layer, and until April 2027 most platforms are operating on transitional arrangements rather than a full licence.
Is an unlicensed platform unsafe?
Not automatically — "transitional relief" is the expected state for most compliant platforms until the regime commences, not a red flag. What deserves attention is the trajectory: platforms that have already secured a licence cleared the bar early, and any platform still showing "none known" as 2027 approaches is running out of runway.
What happens to platforms that don't get licensed?
After 9 April 2027, operating above the small-scale exemption without a licence means they can't legally serve Australian customers. In practice, expect unlicensed platforms to either exit Australia or restrict Australian accounts — one more reason to prefer platforms visibly engaging with the process.
General information only, not legal advice. Status reflects our latest automated verification; always confirm against ASIC's registers for decisions that matter.