The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), an independent government agency acting as the national corporate regulator, has identified regulatory gaps in the fast-growing areas of financial technology, particularly digital assets.
The regulator’s new report titled ‘Key Issues Outlook for 2026’ released on Tuesday raises concerns that consumers are being exposed to rapidly expanding and unlicensed crypto, payments and artificial intelligence companies.
He argued that it was up to the government to determine whether these new products or services should be subject to regulation, while warning that some entities may actively seek to remain unlicensed, adding to “perceived regulatory uncertainty”.
This behavior by some firms requires ASIC to remain focused on monitoring regulatory limits and maintaining clear licensing rules in 2026, the regulator said.
ASIC’s warning comes weeks after Australia introduced amendments to the Corporations Act 2001 and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 to establish rules for businesses managing customers’ digital assets.
