Australia plans strict crypto rules: up to a $ 16.5 million punishment!

Australia plans strict crypto rules: up to a $ 16.5 million punishment!

On October 5, 2025, Australia took an important step towards regulation of the crypto sector by presenting a draft law that obliged digital asset forms to licensing. This new regulation could result in severe punishments for violations of the licensing requirements, which can be up to 10% of the annual turnover or up to a $ 16.5 million. The draft was published on September 24 by the Ministry of Finance and affects both stock exchanges and custody providers, but not decentralized tokens.

In order to operate under the new law, digital asset platforms must acquire an Australian financial services license (AFSL) and comply with strict behavioral standards. These standards include honest and fair action, and if there is non -compliance, sensitive punishments threaten to be a $ 16.5 million, the triple of the benefit achieved or 10% of the annual turnover, depending on what is higher. However, smaller operators who hold less than $ 5,000 per customer and process annual transactions under a $ 10 million are exempt from these requirements.

Regulatory framework and international standards

The new provisions represent a significant step by the Australian government to regulate the crypto sector, which now attracts global actors such as coin base and octopus. The industry consultation for the draft runs until October 24th, and the final legislation is expected to come into force at the end of 2025, followed by a 12-month transition period. This shows the efforts of Australia to establish a comprehensive supervisory system for digital assets that match international standards.

The Ministry of Finance has emphasized that the planned regulations match both with the EU regulation Mica and the Singapore payment service. An important aspect of the design is the OECD frame for reporting on crypto-assets, which contributes to tax transparency. The main requirements also include the separation of customer assets, the maintenance of cyber security measures, clear risk information and internal dispute settlement procedures.

The industry's reactions

The reactions of industry players to the new proposals are careful. Companies such as Coinbase and octopus have welcomed the announced regulations. The law also aims to address the challenges of “Debanking” by working with large Australian banks to ensure that crypto companies continue to have access to financial services.

The draft is based on the government's timetable from March 2025, which focuses on licensing, custody standards and the regulation of stable coins. If the draft law is accepted, Australia could establish one of the most well-founded regulatory framework in the Asia-Pacific region for digital assets. The coming weeks will be crucial to create the final framework and to put the crypto market in the country on a transparent and safe basis.