Australia tightens crypto oversight with 45 removals
Australias financial intelligence regulator said on Sept. 7 that it canceled, suspended or refused to renew 45 crypto and remittance registrations during the past year. The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre said the AUSTRAC registration actions removed affected businesses from its official registers. The agency did not identify all 45 companies or disclose how many were virtual asset service providers rather than remittance businesses. According to its statement, AUSTRAC targeted businesses that were inactive, insolvent or unable to begin or continue operating. Other cases involved incorrect registrations, failures to report material changes or elevated money laundering and terrorism financing risks. AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas said companies with canceled registrations can no longer provide the relevant services. The regulator also referred people associated with some businesses to Australian and overseas law enforcement or regulatory partners. “The rapid movement of money across borders can create some of the highest ML/TF risks,” Thomas said. The action represents an administrative and supervisory response rather than a finding that all 45 businesses committed financial crimes. AUSTRACs stated reasons cover conditions ranging from inactivity and insolvency to alleged financial crime exposure. AUSTRAC canceled GetCoins after customer complaints AUSTRAC identified BA Digital Ventures, which traded as GetCoins, as one company affected by the









