Australia’s markets regulator is sharpening its approach to digital assets, expanding how financial laws apply to tokens, custody and stablecoins as it prepares to introduce a new licensing regime. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) this week detailed expectations for the industry, saying that many digital assets already meet the definition of financial products under the Corporations Act 2001. The updated interpretation appears in ASIC’s proposed revision to Information Sheet 22 ...

Australia’s securities regulator has declared stablecoins, wrapped tokens, tokenized securities, and digital asset wallets as financial products under existing law, requiring service providers to obtain licensing while granting the industry an eight-month transition period. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) announced updated guidance on Wednesday, alongside a sector-wide no-action position that runs until June 30, 2026. ASIC Commissioner Alan Kirkland said, “distributed ledger t ...