Crypto injunctions granted in Kazakhstan on September 15, 2026, bar Coinbase and five other platforms from providing unlicensed services inside the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC). Obtained by the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA), the orders apply to the financial hub—not the country as a whole.
Key takeaways
- Six platforms remain subject to the AIFC restrictions.
- The orders cover service marketing and mobile app distribution.
- LBank secured removal after restricting access in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan’s crypto injunctions stop at the AIFC
The injunctions cover Coinbase, BingX, Bitcoin.com, Huobi Global (HTX), WEEX and BitMart. AFSA said they prohibit the provision and promotion of digital asset services without authorization, alongside distribution of mobile apps supporting those services within the center.
Justice Sir Stephen Richards specified that the restrictions concern only the AIFC and users located there. The court issued a default judgment because the platform operators did not respond within the required period.
Coinbase separately faced website blocking by Kazakhstan’s authorities in 2023 over alleged breaches of the country’s digital asset law.
AFSA’s licensing campaign began in 2025
The AIFC requires crypto businesses to obtain licenses before serving the center. Established in 2018 to attract international businesses and investment, the hub has its own legal framework, financial regulator, stock exchange and dispute-resolution institutions.
AFSA CEO Evgeniya Bogdanova said enforcement started in 2025 with written warnings to more than 20 platforms about licensing requirements. Court proceedings followed in early 2026 against operators that continued providing services without authorization. Since May 2026, AFSA has worked with the National Bank of Kazakhstan to monitor unauthorized digital asset activity.
The court said unlicensed services undermine the AIFC’s regulatory framework and disadvantage licensed competitors. Authorized firms incur costs for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing compliance, customer due diligence and supervisory requirements.
Platforms that restricted access
According to the court order, Google and Apple will be bound by the injunctions upon service of notice of the judgment, while CoinDesk reports that the order binds them as app-store operators. The court declined to grant a separate injunction against them, directing AFSA to discuss the necessary steps with the firms first.
According to AFSA, nine platforms chose to limit access to their apps within Kazakhstan on their own, leading the agency to drop its claims against those operators. Another seven platforms expressed an intention to seek AFSA licenses.
LBank appeared in the original proceedings but was removed on September 18, 2026, after resolving AFSA’s concerns. The regulator said its operator independently blocked access to its services in Kazakhstan.
Article produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.