Kazakhstan court orders curbs on Coinbase, BingX and four others

Kazakhstan’s AIFC court ordered six crypto platforms not to offer digital-asset services in its jurisdiction without authorization. The court also extended restrictions to app stores, limiting users’ access to the platforms’ apps in Kazakhstan. The goal is to stop unlicensed services and advertising.

The Sept. 15 order initially named seven platforms: BingX, Bitcoin.com, Huobi Global, BitMart, Coinbase, LBank and WEEX. Three days later, the court removed LBank after its operator blocked access in Kazakhstan. Google and Apple are covered as app-store operators and must apply geographic restrictions to the remaining platforms.

The restrictions follow a lawsuit by the Astana Financial Services Authority. AFSA said unlicensed platforms do not provide safeguards required of licensed firms. The injunctions will be enforced against the six remaining platforms. The case shows that Kazakhstan is using both court orders and app-store controls to enforce its licensing rules.

A crypto platform is an online service that lets users interact with digital assets. Common services include buying and selling cryptocurrencies, exchanging one digital asset for another, and holding assets in digital wallets. Some platforms also provide transfers, pricing information, or other trading tools. The source article focuses on platforms offering digital-asset services in Kazakhstan.

For example, a user might use a platform to exchange ordinary money for a cryptocurrency, sell that cryptocurrency, or keep it in an account connected to the service. The platform supplies the digital interface and processes the transaction. The article does not list each service offered by the named companies, so these examples reflect the general meaning of crypto platform rather than specific claims about every company.

Kazakhstan’s regulator said platforms serving users there need permission. The court therefore prohibited six platforms from offering digital-asset services without licenses. This matters because licensed firms must provide safeguards involving asset protection, disclosures, complaints and dispute resolution.

Nine crypto platforms voluntarily restricted access to their apps in Kazakhstan. Their action led the Astana Financial Services Authority to withdraw its claims against them. This group avoided the injunctions because it took steps to limit access after AFSA warned platforms about the country’s rules.

The court-enforced restrictions apply to six remaining platforms. They are BingX, Bitcoin.com, Huobi Global, BitMart, Coinbase and WEEX. LBank was initially named in the court order but was removed by an amendment three days later after its operator blocked access in Kazakhstan. Google and Apple are also covered as app-store operators.

The figures show two different responses to the regulator. Nine platforms restricted access voluntarily, while six faced court enforcement. AFSA said it warned more than 20 platforms in 2025, and seven of those platforms said they intended to seek licenses. The regulator’s approach combined warnings, voluntary compliance and litigation.

Kazakhstan requires authorization because digital-asset users need safeguards when companies handle their services. AFSA said users of unlicensed platforms lack protections required of licensed firms. Licensing therefore creates a regulatory condition for serving people in the country and helps authorities address unauthorized advertising and services.

The protections named by AFSA include asset protection, disclosure, complaints handling and dispute resolution. In practical terms, these requirements are intended to give users clearer information, stronger treatment of their assets and formal ways to raise problems or resolve conflicts. The article does not describe the detailed licensing tests or rules behind each safeguard.

AFSA warned more than 20 platforms about AIFC rules in 2025. Nine then restricted app access, and seven said they planned to seek licenses. The court enforced restrictions against six others. This shows Kazakhstan combining supervision, warnings and legal action to keep unlicensed platforms from serving local users.

Using an unlicensed platform can mean losing protections that licensed firms must provide. AFSA specifically said users may lack asset protection, disclosure, complaints handling and dispute resolution. These safeguards matter because users need information about services, ways to report problems and formal processes when disagreements arise.

For example, a user who has a complaint about an account or transaction may not have the same formal route to raise it or seek resolution. Users may also lack the protections that licensed firms are required to provide for assets. The article does not say that every unlicensed platform definitely causes a loss or describe a particular user’s case.

AFSA cited these risks when seeking court injunctions against unauthorized platforms. The authority said the platforms were advertising without authorization and offering digital-asset services without required permission. The court then restricted six platforms and app access in Kazakhstan, while nine others voluntarily limited access.

Kazakhstan has two authorities with different regulatory areas for digital-asset providers. The Astana Financial Services Authority, or AFSA, regulates services within the Astana International Financial Centre. The National Bank oversees digital-asset service providers operating outside the AIFC.

That division shaped this case. AFSA sued platforms it said were offering services in its jurisdiction without authorization. The AIFC court issued injunctions against six platforms and extended access restrictions to app stores. The National Bank is mentioned as the authority for providers outside the AIFC, but the article does not describe its enforcement actions in this dispute.

The distinction matters because a platform’s regulatory obligations depend on the relevant jurisdiction. AFSA warned more than 20 platforms about AIFC rules in 2025. Nine restricted access voluntarily, while six faced injunctions. Kazakhstan’s framework therefore combines the AIFC’s regulator and court with the National Bank’s oversight outside the centre.

A cryptocurrency is a digital form of value that people can transfer, trade or hold electronically. Unlike ordinary bank deposits, it is typically managed through digital wallets and blockchain-based systems rather than a traditional bank account. The source article refers broadly to cryptocurrencies and digital assets, but it does not provide a technical definition.

A crypto exchange is an online marketplace or service. It can match buyers with sellers, allow users to exchange one cryptocurrency for another, and sometimes let users buy assets using ordinary currency. The exchange may also keep the assets in accounts for users. That arrangement lets people trade or hold crypto through the platform’s system instead of using a conventional bank.

The article’s case shows why exchanges can be subject to licensing rules. AFSA said users of unlicensed platforms may lack asset protection, disclosure, complaints handling and dispute resolution. Kazakhstan restricted six platforms that offered digital-asset services without authorization, while nine others voluntarily restricted access.