Australia Flags Crypto Oversight Gaps as Major Financial Risk for 2026

The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has identified regulatory gaps around digital assets as a critical financial risk for 2026, warning that rapid innovation in crypto, payments and artificial intelligence is outpacing existing laws and exposing consumers to unlicensed advice and misleading conduct ^[1][3][4].

ASIC's Key Issues Outlook 2026 specifically flags unlicensed crypto platforms and emerging fintech participants as areas of concern, noting the potential for consumer harm where regulatory boundaries are unclear ^[4][2].

Canberra is moving to close oversight gaps through long‑awaited licensing legislation for digital-asset services, a measure officials say will strengthen consumer protections and bring more crypto activity into the regulatory perimeter ^[1][2].

ASIC's warning frames 2026 as a year of regulatory focus for Australia's digital-asset sector, with licensing and enforcement measures expected to be central to government and regulator responses ^[3][1].