Kazakhstan court restricts Coinbase, BingX and four other crypto exchanges
Court blocks six unlicensed crypto platforms in Kazakhstan
A court in Kazakhstan's Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) has barred six crypto platforms from offering digital-asset services without a license in its jurisdiction. The court also extended access restrictions to app stores.
The Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA), the regulator that brought the case, said the injunctions were issued after it sued the operators of these platforms for offering digital-asset services without authorization.
Which platforms are covered
- A Sept. 15 order named BingX, Bitcoin.com, Huobi Global (HTX), BitMart, Coinbase, LBank and WEEX.
- An amendment three days later removed LBank after its operator blocked access in Kazakhstan.
- Google and Apple are covered as app-store operators, with geographic restrictions on access to the remaining platforms.
What the regulator says about unlicensed platforms
AFSA said users of unlicensed platforms do not have the safeguards that licensed firms must provide. These include asset protection, disclosure, complaints handling and dispute resolution.
Kazakhstan's National Bank oversees digital-asset service providers outside the AIFC, according to the regulator.
Nine platforms restricted access voluntarily
AFSA said it warned more than 20 platforms about AIFC rules in 2025. Nine of them voluntarily restricted app access in the Central Asian country, and seven said they intended to seek licenses.
The authority withdrew its claims against the nine that restricted access. The injunctions will be enforced against the remaining six.
What AFSA's chief said
AFSA CEO Evgeniya Bogdanova said the court decision followed "extensive and consistent efforts" by the regulator's Supervision and Enforcement teams to address unlicensed crypto platforms that were advertising without authorization and offering digital-asset services in Kazakhstan without the required permission.
Platforms have not responded
Cointelegraph said its requests for comment from BingX, Coinbase and Huobi Global were not immediately answered.
What is confirmed
The AIFC court issued injunctions against six platforms, and the order was amended to remove LBank after it blocked access. AFSA withdrew claims against nine platforms that voluntarily restricted access or said they would seek licenses. The regulator's statements and the court order come from AFSA itself.
Why it matters
The order affects how these platforms can be reached by users in Kazakhstan, including through mobile app stores. According to AFSA, licensed firms must meet standards on asset protection, disclosure, complaints handling and dispute resolution that unlicensed platforms do not provide.
Earlier enforcement in Kazakhstan
Cointelegraph previously reported that Kazakhstan's Financial Monitoring Agency blocked access in 2023 to almost 1,000 crypto exchanges serving the country's citizens without proper registration.
Sources
Newisty Editorial Team covers technology, cryptocurrency, digital products, online platforms, developer tools and the wider digital economy. Our content is researched from official sources, company announcements, public documentation, market data and other primary or reputable sources. Articles are reviewed and edited before publication for clarity, accuracy and useful context.
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