Kazakhstan bans unlicensed crypto exchanges in AIFC

7.1 Regulation

Oct 20, 2026

Kazakhstan's AIFC Court barred Coinbase, BingX, and others from offering unlicensed crypto services and apps in the AIFC. Apple and Google must restrict app access for Kazakh users. The ban is not nationwide.

The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Court in Kazakhstan has issued injunctions against Coinbase, BingX, Bitcoin.com, Huobi Global (HTX), BitMart, and WEEX. These platforms are now prohibited from offering or marketing digital asset services within the AIFC without proper authorization from the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA). The court orders, dated September 15, 2026, and amended on September 18, specifically ban these exchanges from providing unlicensed services and distributing related mobile apps to users within the AIFC. Notably, these restrictions do not extend to the rest of Kazakhstan. LBank was removed from the order after voluntarily blocking access in the country. Additionally, Apple and Google have been instructed to restrict access to the mobile applications of these services for Kazakh users. Nine other platforms avoided court action by voluntarily restricting their apps in Kazakhstan. The AFSA emphasized that unlicensed crypto exchange activity undermines regulatory integrity and creates unfair competition for licensed participants.