Kazakhstan court blocks six unlicensed crypto platforms

• Kazakhstan’s Astana International Financial Centre Court has barred six crypto platform operators from offering unlicensed digital asset services within its jurisdiction.
• The restrictions cover BingX, Bitcoin.com, HTX, BitMart, Coinbase and WEEX, with Google and Apple also subject to app-access restrictions.
• The regulator began warning platforms in 2025 and launched court proceedings in early 2026 to enforce local licensing rules.

Kazakhstan’s Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) has secured court injunctions against six crypto platform operators over unlicensed digital asset services within the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC).

The court issued its judgment on 15 September 2026, prohibiting BingX, Bitcoin.com, Huobi Global (HTX), BitMart, Coinbase Global Inc (NASDAQ:COIN) and WEEX from offering or advertising covered services without appropriate licences.

“This Court decision is the result of extensive and consistent efforts by AFSA’s Supervision and Enforcement teams to address the activities of unlicensed crypto platforms that were advertising without authorisation and offering digital asset-related services in Kazakhstan without the required permission,” AFSA Chief Executive Officer Evgeniya Bogdanova said in a statement.

The injunctions also require Google and Apple to geographically restrict access to the named platforms’ services through their application stores.

AFSA began issuing written warnings to more than 20 crypto platforms in 2025 before launching court proceedings against operators that continued operating without licences in early 2026.

Nine platforms subsequently restricted access to their applications in Kazakhstan, prompting AFSA to withdraw its claims against them, while seven others expressed plans to seek licences.

The court removed LBank from the injunction list on 18 September after its operator independently blocked access to its services in Kazakhstan, leaving six platforms subject to the restrictions.

The decision strengthens enforcement of AIFC licensing rules and reinforces regulatory oversight of digital asset services in Kazakhstan.