Australia’s New Crypto Rules Slash Licensing Costs for 300B Stablecoin Market
Australia has taken a big step forward in modernising it's digital asset space - the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC)
Quick overview
- Australia's ASIC has introduced new exemptions to simplify regulations for companies dealing with stablecoins and wrapped tokens.
- The exemptions eliminate the need for costly Australian Financial Services licenses, facilitating easier market entry for firms.
- Industry leaders view these changes as a significant step towards fostering innovation and operational efficiency in the digital asset space.
- The regulatory updates align with the rapid growth of the global stablecoin market, positioning Australia to capitalize on emerging opportunities.
Australia has taken a big step forward in modernising it’s digital asset space – the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has finished off some brand new exemptions that are going to make a world of difference to companies dealing with stablecoins and wrapped tokens. These new exemptions are designed to get the innovation ball rolling, keep costs down and make Australia a more attractive place to operate as a hub for blockchain based financial services.
ASIC has confirmed that it’s giving “class relief” to the middlemen involved in the resale of certain stablecoins and wrapped tokens – this exemption gets rid of the need for those expensive and time-consuming Australian Financial Services (AFS) licenses that have been a major hurdle for many firms trying to break into the sector.
New Exemptions Will Save Costs & Make Things Simpler
The revamped framework also lets middlemen use omnibus accounts, provided they keep pretty good track of what’s going on – they just need to make sure they’ve got decent record-keeping systems in place. These structures have been widely adopted globally for years and they offer some real operational efficiencies – they make it easier to settle things more quickly and keep a tighter grip on risk.
Industry leaders are well pleased with the reform, and Drew Bradford, CEO of Australian stablecoin issuer Macropod, describes the update as a really important step in making progress.
Australia just made a big move for crypto
ASIC removes licensing requirements for stablecoin intermediaries and approves omnibus accounts
Lower compliance costs = more innovation 🚀#YUBIT #Crypto #Stablecoins #Australia pic.twitter.com/XyO0SG8rQv
— YUBIT (@YUBIT_Official) December 11, 2025
“By giving both new and established players a fairer and more flexible framework, especially when it comes to reserve and asset handling, its takes some of the friction out of the equation and gives the sector the confidence to move forward – “ Bradford said.
These relaxed rules are especially significant for firms who have been trying to navigate the old licensing requirements – they can be expensive and really time consuming. They come at a very good time too – the industry is still waiting for some broader digital asset legislation that could set some national standards around custody, payment systems and tokenization.
Angela Ang, head of policy and strategic partnerships at TRM Labs, is feeling optimistic about the changes – she says they give the country some momentum while it gets ready to move onto more comprehensive regulation.
Regulatory Shift Matches Up With Stablecoin Market Growth
ASIC’s decision is well timed – the stablecoin market is growing really fast globally and now has a market cap of over $300 billion – thats a 48% increase since the start of the year, according to some data from RWA.xyz. Tether is still the biggest player, controlling about 63% of the market.
The new regulatory landscape is going to help Australia catch up with this growth, especially in areas such as:
- Moving money across borders
- Treasury and liquidity management
- On-chain settlement systems
- Tokenizing all sorts of assets for institutional investors
By reducing some of the compliance hassle, Australia is well placed to benefit from the increasing global adoption of stable-value digital assets.
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