Kazakhstan’s Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) has announced court injunctions against six cryptocurrency platforms, including Coinbase and HTX, as part of an enforcement campaign targeting unauthorized digital asset services.
In an October 20, 2026 announcement, the regulator confirmed that the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Court had prohibited the operators of Coinbase, Huobi Global (HTX), BingX, Bitcoin.com, BitMart and WEEX from offering or advertising digital asset services within the financial centre without appropriate authorization.
The original judgment was issued on September 15 and initially included seven platforms. However, LBank was removed from the proceedings on September 18 after voluntarily restricting access to its services in Kazakhstan.
The injunctions specifically concern activities within the AIFC and users located there. They do not constitute a nationwide prohibition on cryptocurrency trading through the named platforms. The ruling represents another step in Kazakhstan’s efforts to strengthen licensing requirements and supervision of cryptocurrency businesses.
Court Orders Restrictions on Six Platforms
The AIFC Court’s judgment prohibits the six operators from providing, offering or marketing unauthorized digital asset services within the financial centre.
It also restricts the distribution of mobile applications used to deliver those services. The court directed that its order be served on Google and Apple, potentially requiring geographically targeted restrictions through their respective application stores. According to the amended September 18 order, the platform operators are jointly and severally liable for approximately 1.995 million Kazakhstani tenge in legal costs.
AFSA said its enforcement campaign began in 2025, when it issued written warnings to more than 20 cryptocurrency platforms explaining the AIFC’s licensing requirements. In early 2026, the regulator initiated legal proceedings against operators that continued offering services without authorization. Following the warnings, nine platforms voluntarily restricted access to their applications in Kazakhstan, prompting AFSA to withdraw its claims against them.
Another seven platforms expressed an intention to seek authorization to operate digital asset trading facilities. The remaining six operators are now subject to court-backed restrictions. AFSA Chief Executive Evgeniya Bogdanova said the action followed sustained supervisory efforts addressing unauthorized cryptocurrency services and advertising.
Kazakhstan Strengthens Crypto Licensing Enforcement
The court emphasized that unauthorized operators undermine the AIFC’s regulatory framework and create unfair competition for licensed businesses. Authorized cryptocurrency firms must comply with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing obligations, customer due diligence requirements and ongoing regulatory supervision.
The regulator also warned that customers using unlicensed platforms may lack protections concerning asset safeguarding, disclosure obligations, complaints procedures and dispute resolution. Kazakhstan has increasingly sought to establish a regulated digital asset industry while restricting unauthorized activity. Under the country’s Digital Assets Law, enacted in February 2023, the AIFC operates under a specialized framework for licensed cryptocurrency businesses.
Outside the financial centre, digital asset oversight falls under Kazakhstan’s broader national regulatory arrangements. AFSA said it has been cooperating closely with the National Bank of Kazakhstan since May 2026 to coordinate supervision of digital asset activities.
The latest injunctions highlight the distinction between cryptocurrency access and authorization to provide regulated financial services within a particular jurisdiction. For affected platforms, compliance may require changes to marketing, customer access and application distribution within the AIFC.
However, the ruling does not establish that their global operations are prohibited or that existing customer assets have been frozen. The broader significance lies in Kazakhstan’s willingness to use court orders and app-store restrictions to enforce licensing rules. Whether the six platforms subsequently seek authorization or further restrict access remains to be determined.
