Nine cryptocurrency platforms voluntarily blocked app access for users in Kazakhstan, prompting the Astana Financial Services Authority to withdraw its court claims against those operators

Overview Debates Related claims Topics Sources

Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein ruled under Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60 that newly acquired knowledge of facts existing when the January 2025 consent order was entered does not constitute a significant change in factual circumstances

The CFTC filed a lawsuit in 2022 alleging Gemini Trust Company made false or misleading statements of material fact in 2017 regarding a Bitcoin futures contract relying on Gemini auction prices

Acquiring a licensed local entity provides Bitget a regulated operational foundation in Thailand rather than building a new platform from scratch or operating an unlicensed foreign service

Kazakh authorities restricted access to Coinbase in 2023 for regulatory non-compliance, while Kazakhstan's Financial Monitoring Agency blocked access to nearly 1,000 unregistered crypto exchanges in 2023

The Astana Financial Services Authority issued warnings to more than 20 cryptocurrency platforms regarding Astana International Financial Centre regulatory compliance rules during 2025

Kazakh cryptocurrency traders transitioning to authorized platforms must complete required onboarding and identity verification procedures mandated by local regulators

Seven cryptocurrency platforms indicated to the Astana Financial Services Authority that they intended to seek formal licenses to operate in Kazakhstan

The AIFC court initially named exchange operator LBank in its September 15, 2026 ruling before issuing a variation order on September 18, 2026 to remove LBank after it blocked user access in Kazakhstan

The September 15, 2026 AIFC court order covers app-store operators Google and Apple to enforce geographic restrictions on access to the six unlicensed crypto platforms—Coinbase, BingX, Bitcoin.com, HTX, BitMart and WEEX—in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's 2023 Law on Digital Assets mandates that only entities authorized and licensed within the Astana International Financial Centre are permitted to carry out activities involving unsecured digital assets

Court injunctions restricting unlicensed exchanges allow authorized platforms such as Binance Kazakhstan and Bybit Kazakhstan to capture Kazakh crypto traders moving away from prohibited venues

Exchanges Binance Kazakhstan and Bybit Kazakhstan operate as authorized digital asset service providers within the Astana International Financial Centre regulatory framework

GMO-Z.com Cryptonomics operates Z.com EX, which launched in February 2021 and is registered on Thailand's Securities and Exchange Commission list of licensed digital asset exchange operators

A September 15, 2026 AIFC court injunction barred Coinbase, BingX, Bitcoin.com, HTX, BitMart, and WEEX from operating, while holding them jointly liable for approximately KZT 2 million in legal costs

Completion of Bitget's proposed acquisition of GMO-Z.com Cryptonomics and Bitget's subsequent platform launch in Thailand are subject to obtaining regulatory approval for the change of control from Thai authorities

Kazakhstan's National Bank oversees digital asset service providers operating outside the Astana International Financial Centre

The Hyperliquid Policy Center urged the SEC to make federal preemption of state securities registration requirements permanent after a project exits or meets the proposed Safe Harbor conditions.

The Hyperliquid Policy Center warned that expiring federal immunity would subject mature crypto projects to registration demands across more than 50 individual state jurisdictions, increasing compliance burdens.

Recovered funds exceeding 10,000 euros resulting from cross-border crypto enforcement operations will be split equally among the nations involved.

The Warsaw Convention Additional Protocol prompts signatory nations to establish specialized Asset Recovery Offices to confiscate digital assets and Asset Management Offices to hold digital assets involved in illicit activities.