australia

According to Gate market data, on Monday morning in the foreign exchange market, the US dollar index DXY broke 99, rising 0.45% during the day; the euro against the US dollar EUR/USD fell 0.5%, reported at 1.665; the US dollar against the Swiss franc USD/CHF and the US dollar against the Japanese yen USD/JPY both rose about 0.2%; the New Zealand dollar against the US dollar NZD/USD fell 0.7%; the Australian dollar against the US dollar AUD/USD plummeted 1%, falling below the 0.7 mark.

According to Bloomberg, Coinbase has obtained a financial services license in Australia and received authorization for retail derivatives from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, becoming the first cryptocurrency exchange to directly receive such approval. The company plans to expand into Australia, initially launching cryptocurrency and stock perpetual contract trading, followed by expansions into futures, options, stock trading, and payment services.Coinbase stated that it is exploring partnerships with several Australian financial institutions, including major banks, and is in discussions with pension funds. Additionally, Coinbase plans to launch fiat services in India in the coming weeks or months and expand its operations in Singapore.

Australia has officially passed the "2025 Company Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill," becoming the country's first comprehensive digital asset regulatory legislation. The bill requires cryptocurrency exchanges and custodial platforms to apply for a financial services license from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and to complete compliance within six months.The new law establishes two types of regulated entities: "digital asset platforms" and "tokenized custodial platforms," which are subject to the same core rules for client asset protection, information disclosure, and dispute resolution as brokers and fund managers. The aim is to prevent risks such as the mixing and misappropriation of client assets. Research institutions estimate that Australia could generate up to AUD 24 billion annually from the tokenized market, payments, and digital assets, accounting for about 1% of GDP; without a regulatory framework, this figure could drop to only about AUD 1 billion by 2030.

The Federal Court of Australia ordered Binance's Australian derivatives division (i.e., Oztures Trading Pty Ltd) to pay a fine of AUD 10 million (approximately USD 6.9 million).During the period from 2022 to 2023, the entity incorrectly classified over 85% of local customers as wholesale investors, resulting in 524 retail customers being exposed to high-risk crypto derivatives without statutory consumer protections, leading to trading losses of approximately AUD 8,660,000 (about USD 5.9 million) and fee losses of AUD 3,900,000 (about USD 2.7 million). Joe Longo, Chairman of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), stated that Binance failed to establish basic compliance review mechanisms and incorrectly approved hundreds of wholesale investor applications. According to the fact statement submitted to the court, Binance acknowledged flaws in its customer onboarding process, allowing applicants to repeatedly take the eligibility test until they passed, and that senior compliance personnel inadequately reviewed application materials. Binance admitted to six violations, including failing to provide product disclosure statements to retail customers, not conducting target market assessments, and not maintaining a compliant internal dispute resolution system. This fine is in addition to approximately AUD 13.1 million (about USD 9 million) in customer compensation previously supervised by ASIC. The entity's Australian financial services license was revoked in April 2023.

According to market news, the Federal Court of Australia has ordered Oztures Trading Pty Ltd (i.e., Binance Australia Derivatives) to pay a fine of 10 million AUD (approximately 6.9 million USD). The court found that the company incorrectly classified over 85% of its Australian customers as wholesale clients between July 2022 and April 2023, resulting in 524 retail investors accessing high-risk crypto derivatives without the necessary protections, leading to a total trading loss of 6.3 million USD and 2.6 million USD in fees.Binance also acknowledged multiple compliance violations, including failing to provide product disclosure statements to retail clients, not completing target market determinations, and not establishing a compliant internal dispute resolution mechanism. This fine is an additional penalty based on a customer compensation order of approximately 9 million USD issued in November 2023. Currently, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has made a statement regarding this case, and Binance has not yet responded to requests for comment.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Federal Court of Australia ruled that Binance's local derivatives division must pay an additional civil penalty of AUD 10 million (approximately USD 6.9 million). This penalty is an additional sanction beyond the AUD 13.1 million compensation paid to affected customers by Binance in 2023.The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) pointed out that the division incorrectly classified 524 retail investors as wholesale clients between July 2022 and April 2023, exposing them to high-risk derivatives without consumer protections, resulting in losses and costs exceeding AUD 12 million.ASIC Chairman Joe Longo stated that this outcome serves as a clear warning to financial service providers seeking to operate in Australia. A Binance spokesperson stated that the issue was rectified in 2023, and the related subsidiary Oztures has ceased derivatives operations and canceled its license.

According to The Block, Brad Jones, Assistant Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), stated in a speech that the advancement of asset tokenization has shifted from "whether" to "how" to implement it.Research from Project Acacia shows that tokenization technology can bring about AUD 16.7 billion in efficiency gains to the Australian economy each year. Jones pointed out that stablecoins and bank deposit tokens can play complementary roles—the former is suitable for small emerging tokenization markets, while the latter, with prudent regulation and central bank liquidity support, will play a more important role in larger markets. The RBA also announced the establishment of a digital financial market infrastructure sandbox, the formation of a regulatory-industry tokenization advisory group, and the expansion of the deposit token working group to promote interbank interoperability.

One of Australia's largest pension funds, Hostplus, is considering incorporating cryptocurrency into its investment options. Hostplus manages assets exceeding AUD 150 billion (approximately USD 105 billion), and its Chief Investment Officer, Sam Sicilia, stated that the fund is exploring ways to provide members with exposure to Bitcoin and other digital assets through its Choiceplus investment option.Choiceplus allows members to manage their retirement savings portfolios independently, and currently, assets under this option account for about 1% of the fund's total size.

According to market news, the Australian Senate Economic Legislation Committee has released a report supporting the legislative proposal to include cryptocurrency platforms and custodial services in the country's financial services system.The bill will amend the Corporations Act and the ASIC Act to establish a licensing and compliance regime for businesses that hold or manage digital tokens on behalf of clients. Under the framework, digital asset platforms and tokenized custodial service operators will generally be required to hold an Australian Financial Services License, comply with asset protection standards, and meet disclosure requirements when accepting retail clients. The bill aims to fill regulatory gaps, ensuring that intermediaries holding clients' digital assets are governed by existing financial services laws rather than regulating the blockchain technology itself. If passed, it will provide a six-month transition period for providers that do not yet hold an AFSL.

Alex, the technical representative of the Australian Smart Artificial Intelligence Research Institute, delivered a keynote speech at an online community meeting, focusing on the latest trends in the artificial intelligence sector. He elaborated on industry opportunities and the value of the era in 2026, combining phenomenal open-source AI agent products like OpenClaw and Dream Seedance 2.0.In the speech, Alex detailed the technical roadmap and implementation plans for smart AI in areas such as AI creation, content assetization, decentralized trading, and on-chain finance. He also officially announced that the SAIT token will be listed on the BitMart exchange on March 16, with the platform's full product line expected to launch in April. This speech signifies a key signal for smartAI's advancement in global layout and acceleration of ecological implementation, further closing the loop between AI technology and Web3 asset circulation.

The cryptocurrency company Ripple has announced plans to acquire payment company BC Payments Australia to obtain an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL). According to the arrangement, upon completion of the acquisition, Ripple will receive the Australian Financial Services License, which will become a necessary qualification for some cryptocurrency companies to provide financial services in Australia in the future.Ripple stated that after obtaining the AFSL, its payment business will be able to manage the entire transaction process in Australia, including customer onboarding, compliance, fund settlement, foreign exchange, liquidity management, and final payments, integrating traditional banking systems with digital asset networks.Over the past year, Ripple has been continuously advancing its global compliance strategy, having obtained payment-related licenses in Singapore, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom, and received conditional approval for a national trust bank license in the United States. At the same time, the company is also expanding its business footprint through acquisitions, including the acquisition of institutional broker Hidden Road (now Ripple Prime).

According to Cointelegraph, the Australian cryptocurrency exchange BTC Markets has informed the country's securities regulator of its intention to apply for a market license to offer regulated tokenized real-world assets (RWA).BTC Markets CEO Lucas Dobbins stated on Monday, "Our plan is to obtain the licensed infrastructure that allows specific types of tokenized assets to be offered and used by the public." He added that his vision is for the market to operate continuously in a world where tokenized stocks, bonds, and real-world assets will be traded alongside cryptocurrencies, with settlements occurring instantly.

According to The Block, Australian police have charged a 42-year-old man with operating a cryptocurrency investment scam that defrauded over 190 elderly and vulnerable individuals of a total of 5 million AUD (approximately 35 million USD). The man has been granted conditional bail and is set to appear in Burwood Local Court on March 17.According to a police statement, the cybercrime unit Strike Force Resaca executed search warrants in Strathfield and Cammeray on Friday morning, seizing electronic devices and documents related to the case. At the Strathfield residence, police arrested the 42-year-old suspect and charged him with "dealing with the proceeds of crime," involving money laundering through an online platform. A second man, aged 36, was arrested in Cammeray and has been released pending further investigation.The investigation revealed that since November 2025, victims were contacted via social media by individuals claiming to be investment advisors, who guided them to deposit funds into a digital currency trading platform called "NEXOpayment." Victims believed they were purchasing cryptocurrencies, stocks, or other legitimate investment products, but the funds were actually transferred multiple times into different crypto wallets and exchanges, displaying a typical money laundering pattern.

According to the official announcement, Australia's Monochrome spot Bitcoin ETF (IBTC) has disclosed that its holdings have reached 1,248 Bitcoins, with a total market value exceeding 120 million AUD.

According to Bloomberg, cryptocurrency exchange Gemini has announced the closure of all customer accounts in the UK, EU, and Australia. According to its announcement released on February 5, accounts in these regions will enter a withdrawal-only mode starting March 5, with plans to complete the full closure one month later. At the same time, Gemini has halted new account registrations and all incentive programs in these areas.Gemini went public in September 2025, and due to the decline in cryptocurrency prices, its stock price has fallen by approximately 23% since the beginning of 2025. On the day the news was released, its stock price further dropped by 2.8%.

According to Decrypt, the cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has filed a formal complaint with the Australian Parliament, accusing the country's four major banks (Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ, and NAB) of systematically refusing to provide financial services to legitimate crypto companies, stating that this practice has evolved into a "systemic feature"; given that the four major banks control the majority of transaction accounts and payment channels, this account closure effectively constitutes an "illegal regulatory ban," excluding the legitimate industry from the formal economy.The complaint cites data indicating that up to 60% of fintech companies faced bank refusals in 2021, and this issue remains unresolved. Coinbase urges lawmakers to mandate banks to implement five transparency measures, including requiring banks to document and inform customers of the reasons for account closures, ensuring affected customers can resort to internal dispute resolution processes, providing at least 30 days' notice before closing core services, and conducting self-compliance certifications. These measures were proposed by the Australian Financial Regulator in 2022 but have yet to be legislated.

The Federal Court of Australia ruled that BPS Financial was fined AUD 14 million (approximately USD 9.7 million) for operating the Qoin wallet project without obtaining the necessary licenses and for making misleading statements to consumers.

Stablecoin issuer Tether officially announced that, according to data from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and a report from Jefferies, Tether has entered the ranks of the top 30 gold holders globally, surpassing countries such as Greece, Qatar, and Australia.As reported, Tether's total physical gold reserves reached 520,089.350 ounces by the end of Q4 2025, with a total of 520,089.3 XAUT tokens in circulation, accounting for approximately 60% of the total supply of gold-backed stablecoins.

According to Cointelegraph, the Federal Court of Australia has ruled that financial services company BPS Financial must pay a fine of 14 million AUD (approximately 9.3 million USD) for violations in promoting and operating the Qoin Wallet product. Of this amount, about 1.3 million USD is for operating financial services without a license, and 8 million USD is for making misleading and deceptive statements.The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) accused BPS of issuing the product and providing financial advice without holding an Australian financial services license between January 2020 and mid-2023, in violation of the Corporations Act. The court found that senior management of the company was involved and that there were deficiencies in the compliance system, constituting "serious and illegal conduct."In addition to the fine, BPS is also prohibited from operating financial services without a license for the next 10 years and must publish court-mandated announcements on the Qoin Wallet app and website, while also bearing most of ASIC's legal costs.

According to market news, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission has listed the regulatory loopholes in cryptocurrency as one of the key risks for 2026.The agency pointed out that rapidly growing cryptocurrency, payment, and artificial intelligence businesses operating on the regulatory edge may expose consumers to the risks of unlicensed advice and misleading conduct. This warning comes as Australia advances the 2025 Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Bill, which aims to establish the country's first regulatory framework for businesses holding client digital assets, requiring relevant platforms to hold an Australian financial services license. ASIC stated that while some businesses operate legally outside the current regulatory framework, there are also entities that intend to evade regulation, exacerbating regulatory uncertainty.