Asic
ASIC Warns of "Lost Generation" Risk if Australia Falls Behind on Fintech and AI
- Chairman Joe Longo says the regulator wants to be a backer rather than a blocker.
- In the meantime, around half the market declined to take part in the watchdog's recent tokenization survey.
Thursday, 21/05/2026 | 12:00 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
ASIC Cuts 45,000 Paper Filings a Year as Regulatory Simplification Push Targets 90% Digital by June
- The market watchdog says email lodgement now covers 88 forms, a 380% jump on the prior baseline.
- Industry submissions widened breach-reporting relief and halved internal dispute reports for small banks.
Tuesday, 19/05/2026 | 05:34 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
300% Returns Promise Ends in More Than 5 Years' Prison for Australian Adviser
- Ashley Arandez received 5 years and 6 months after pleading guilty to dishonest conduct and unlicensed financial services.
- The sentencing lands as ASIC escalates its push against scams targeting Australia's A$4 trillion superannuation system.
Tuesday, 12/05/2026 | 07:47 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
"Watchdogs Need to Both Bark and Bite": Joe Longo Defends ASIC's Aggressive Tilt in His Final Speech
- The outgoing Chairman pushed for a ban on unlicensed superannuation communications, citing organized fraud against retirement savers.
- Longo hands the role to deputy Sarah Court next month after a tenure that doubled investigations and quadrupled penalty totals.
Thursday, 07/05/2026 | 05:41 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
ASIC Eyes Five-Year Extension of AFS Licensing Relief as October Deadline Looms
- The regulator is asking brokers, fund managers and advisers for feedback on remaking two relief instruments before they expire.
- The proposal lands as Australia's AFS license regime, the framework underpinning the country's CFD industry, faces a stack of fresh deadlines.
Tuesday, 05/05/2026 | 05:34 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Australia's Digital Asset License Deadline Nears with 10% Turnover Penalty Looming
- ASIC has warned that its no-action position for unlicensed digital asset providers expires on June 30, 2026.
- Firms missing the cutoff risk civil and criminal penalties under Australia's financial services laws.
Monday, 04/05/2026 | 05:40 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Collapsed CFD Broker Director Pleads Guilty to Misusing $490K Client Funds
- Stavro D’Amore, who pleaded guilty to three charges, made illegal transfers of over AU$681,000 in company funds, which were primarily client deposits.
- Clients of the collapsed broker are still owed over US$6.5 million.
Friday, 01/05/2026 | 07:56 GMT by
Arnab Shome
Four APAC Regulators Set Overlapping Crypto Deadlines in Q2 2026
- Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea are simultaneously overhauling digital asset frameworks between April and June.
- A new FM Intelligence analysis maps the licensing, reclassification, and operational mandates converging across the region in a single quarter.
Thursday, 09/04/2026 | 06:49 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Australia and New Zealand Sound Alarm on AI-Powered Investment Scams as Takedowns Hit Record Pace
- ASIC removed nearly 12,000 scam websites in 2025, while New Zealand's FMA flagged 190 fake trading platforms in March.
- Deepfake videos and fabricated news articles featuring politicians and bank CEOs are driving a new wave of fraud across the Asia-Pacific.
Wednesday, 08/04/2026 | 05:38 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Binance Fined AU$10 Million in Australia as Crypto Perp Rules Tighten
- The company admitted to misclassifying clients, skirting Australia's consumer production rules.
- Australia and Europe are taking a hard stance on crypto derivatives, as the US opens up.
Friday, 27/03/2026 | 07:57 GMT by
Adonis Adoni
16% of Aussie Gen Z 'Completely Trust' AI with Financial Decisions
- Trust in social media and finfluencers for investment purposes also exceeds 50 per cent.
- The local regulator is now concerned about the growing trend of short-term crypto investments among young people, based on information on social media.
Monday, 16/03/2026 | 05:37 GMT by
Arnab Shome
$583 Million Back in Australians' Pockets: ASIC Just Had Its Most Brutal Enforcement Year Ever
- The regulator secured a record $349.8 million in civil penalties in the second half of 2025, with ANZ alone accounting for $250 million.
- Corporate misconduct complaints also surged 28%, signalling the regulator has no intention of letting up.
Wednesday, 25/02/2026 | 07:08 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Sarah Court Named ASIC's New Chair as Women Take Control of Australia's Economic Watchdogs
- The appointment comes as enforcement actions surge and the regulator tackles record penalties against financial misconduct.
- Court brings 13 years of enforcement experience from her tenure at Australia's competition regulator before joining ASIC in 2021.
Tuesday, 03/02/2026 | 07:15 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
Former GAIN Capital and Invast Director Pleads Guilty in $181,000 Fraud Case
- The finance executive admits to handling suspected proceeds from crypto investment scams.
- Now, he faces up to one year in jail after admitting he dealt with funds linked to schemes targeting Australian investors.
Tuesday, 27/01/2026 | 06:55 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
eToro Dominates Australia’s CFD Market – Where Trader Loyalty Rarely Survives a Year
- ASIC revealed that 119,300 clients traded CFDs per quarter in fiscal year 2024, a 76 per cent drop from before leverage restrictions were imposed in March 2021.
- Eighty-four per cent of options CFD traders lost money, but the regulator is unsure who is fit to trade these products.
Wednesday, 21/01/2026 | 08:30 GMT by
Arnab Shome
Aussie CFD Traders Got About $27 Million in Refunds After Regulatory Intervention
- ASIC’s action came after it found that more than half of local CFD issuers were offering “margin discounts” and breaching other mandatory obligations.
- Aussie retail CFD traders lost over AU$458 million (US$308.3 million) in 2024.
Tuesday, 20/01/2026 | 04:53 GMT by
Arnab Shome
Aussie Regulator Ramps Up Pump-and-Dump Scheme Warning after Conviction of Four
- Four individuals were running pump-and-dump schemes through Telegram groups.
- Regulators from Australia, Asia, Europe and North America recently discussed the threat posed by such market manipulation.
Monday, 22/12/2025 | 05:40 GMT by
Arnab Shome
ASX Faces $150M Capital Charge After Scathing Inquiry Finds Years of Neglect
- Australia's stock exchange operator must overhaul its governance and raise additional capital following a damning inquiry.
- The reforms include independent boards for clearing units to address “serious shortcomings” in risk management and culture.
Monday, 15/12/2025 | 07:21 GMT by
Damian Chmiel
FXCM Australia Offered CFDs to "Medium Risk Appetite" Investors: Faces Stop Order
- ASIC issued the interim stop order against the FXCM operator for a breach of the target market determination under the design and distribution obligations.
- The broker can neither issue CFDs to retail clients nor open trading accounts for new retail clients until the stop order, with a 21-day validity, expires or is revoked.
Friday, 05/12/2025 | 05:05 GMT by
Arnab Shome
CFD Educator Learn to Trade’s Compliance Failure Pushes Aussie Regulator to Take Action
- Learn to Trade allegedly failed to submit its financial statements for two consecutive years on time, and also did not inform the regulator about the new auditor appointment.
- ASIC now wants an independent compliance consultant to review the company’s “procedures and frameworks.”
Tuesday, 25/11/2025 | 05:26 GMT by
Arnab Shome
ASIC Makes “Reporting Misconduct” a Priority: An Alarm for CFD Brokers?
- “Financial reporting misconduct” is among the ten priorities for the regulator in 2026.
- “We’re doing more investigations, taking more matters to court, and securing record penalties,” says ASIC’s Deputy Chair.
Thursday, 13/11/2025 | 05:34 GMT by
Arnab Shome
Aussie Regulator Granted 290 New AFS Licences in FY25, While Curbing 215 Others
- The number of new AFS licence applications with the regulator jumped by 10 per cent last year.
- “Applications from digital asset operators are on the rise, underscoring the growing interest in the crypto sector,” said the ASIC Commissioner.
Monday, 10/11/2025 | 05:17 GMT by
Arnab Shome
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