The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), an independent government body that acts as a national corporate regulator, has identified regulatory gaps in fast-growing areas of financial technology, especially digital assets.
The regulator’s new report titled “Key Issues Outlook to 2026” released on Tuesday expressed concern that consumers are being exposed to unlicensed and rapidly expanding crypto, payments and artificial intelligence companies.
He argued that it is up to the government to determine whether these new products or services should be brought under the regulatory purview, while warning that some entities may actively seek to remain unlicensed, adding to “perceived regulatory uncertainty.”
This behavior by some companies requires ASIC to continue to focus on policing regulatory boundaries and keeping licensing rules clear in 2026, the regulator said.
ASIC’s warning comes weeks after Australia introduced amendments to the Corporations Act 2001 and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 to set out rules for firms that handle clients’ digital assets.
