Australia’s ASIC flags crypto as ‘regulatory perimeter’ risk alongside AI, payments

Australia’s securities regulator has bundled digital assets with AI and payments in its 2026 outlook, warning that companies exploiting licensing gray areas will be a top priority this year.

Australia’s financial regulator, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), framed new participants in emerging sectors like digital assets as a “regulatory perimeter” issue in its Key Issues Outlook 2026 paper, signaling how it intends to regulate crypto entities in the year ahead. 

In the report published on Tuesday, ASIC grouped digital assets alongside payments and artificial intelligence-driven financial services, citing risks tied to unlicensed activity, misleading conduct and businesses operating at the edges of existing laws. 

Instead of a warning about token adoption or crypto volatility, ASIC focused on structural risks created when emerging financial services fall outside established licensing, disclosure and conduct regimes. 

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