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Kazakhstan court bars Coinbase and five others in AIFC

Kazakhstan’s AIFC Court barred six crypto platforms from unlicensed services, with app-store access restrictions limited to the financial centre under its order.

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Kazakhstan court bars Coinbase and five others in AIFC

The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Court on Sept. 15 barred six crypto platform operators from providing unlicensed digital-asset services in the centre, according to the Astana Financial Services Authority’s announcement. The order also covers advertising those services and distributing apps for them, placing Coinbase and five other platforms under restrictions within the AIFC.

Which platforms remain under the order?

The injunctions currently apply to BingX, Bitcoin.com, Huobi Global (HTX), BitMart, Coinbase and WEEX, AFSA said. LBank was included in the court’s original Sept. 15 order, but the court removed it on Sept. 18 after the operator blocked access to its services in Kazakhstan.

The order bars the operators from providing, offering or marketing digital-asset services without AIFC authorisation, and from distributing or making apps available for those services. The AIFC Court’s variation order records LBank’s removal from the case.

How could app-store access be restricted?

AFSA said the court’s decision also applies to Google and Apple in relation to geographically restricting access to the platforms. CoinDesk reported that the court did not issue a separate injunction against the app-store operators and said AFSA should first discuss the steps needed with them.

AFSA said the relevant orders would be sent to Google Play and the Apple App Store. The regulator said nine platforms had already restricted access to their apps in Kazakhstan, while seven others had expressed an intention to seek AFSA licences.

Does the ruling cover all of Kazakhstan?

No: the restriction applies to the AIFC and users located there, not the rest of Kazakhstan, according to the CoinDesk report on the ruling. The court entered judgment by default after the platform operators did not respond within the required period, CoinDesk reported.

AFSA said it began issuing written warnings to more than 20 crypto platforms in 2025 and started court proceedings in early 2026 against those that continued operating without a licence. It said the injunctions are intended to address services offered without required authorisation in the AIFC.

Sources