Key takeaways

  • A court order in Kazakhstan restricts BingX, Bitcoin.com, Huobi Global, BitMart, Coinbase and WEEX from providing, offering or advertising digital asset services inside the Astana International Financial Center without a required license.
  • The order also covers mobile app distribution and applies to Google and Apple, which operate the Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
  • The action follows warnings to more than 20 platforms in 2025 and court filings in early 2026. Nine platforms voluntarily restricted access, and seven said they intended to apply for licenses, leaving six under restrictions.
  • The enforcement action sits alongside Kazakhstan's May digital asset framework, a presidential decree signed two months later, a Tether exploration of a Kazakh tenge stablecoin and a 65-measure plan with up to $60 million in tokenized Alatau projects by the end of 2026.

What happened

On September 15, the Astana International Financial Center Court granted claims by the Astana Financial Services Authority against operators of six platforms: BingX, Bitcoin.com, Huobi Global (HTX), BitMart, Coinbase and WEEX. The order bars those operators from providing, offering or advertising digital asset services within the center without the required license. It also extends to distribution of mobile apps used to offer such services.

LBank was initially included, but the court removed it on September 18 after its operator independently blocked access to its services in Kazakhstan. The decision also involves Google and Apple, which operate the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. Both companies are subject to the court order regarding geographic restrictions on access to the named platforms.

The regulator said the legal action came after months of efforts to address crypto services operating without authorization. It began issuing written warnings to more than 20 platforms in 2025 and explained the rules under the Astana International Financial Center regulatory framework. In early 2026, it took the matter to court against platforms that continued operating without a license.

According to the regulator, nine platforms voluntarily restricted access to their apps in the country through the two app stores, and claims against those operators were withdrawn. Another seven platforms said they intended to apply for licenses to operate digital asset trading facilities. The remaining six are now subject to the court-ordered restrictions.

Market context

The enforcement action follows a formal digital asset framework introduced in May, which covered stablecoins, tokenized real-world assets and digital versions of traditional financial instruments. The rules also set requirements for exchanges and other service providers. Two months later, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree to develop the industry further. The plans include regulated stablecoins for some cross-border payments, tokenized securities and incentives to bring digital assets onto local regulated platforms.

In a separate development, Tether began exploring a stablecoin tied to the Kazakh tenge under an agreement with the National Bank of Kazakhstan and Alatau City authorities. CryptoPotato reported earlier this month that the parties will study issuance models and prepare a pilot proposal. No issuer, blockchain or launch date has been announced.

Meanwhile, Kazakhstan's government has approved a 65-measure plan that includes up to $60 million in tokenized Alatau projects by the end of 2026.

Why it matters

The order connects licensing with distribution, not only with direct platform websites. Because it also covers mobile apps and involves Google and Apple through app stores, geographic restrictions become part of the enforcement route. The earlier removal of LBank shows that operators can change their status by independently blocking access in Kazakhstan. The withdrawals against nine platforms and the license intentions of seven others suggest that the remaining six are those that continued operating without authorization after warnings and explanations.

For market participants, the distinction between licensed and unlicensed access is likely to become more visible inside the Astana International Financial Center. The court action also sits next to policy efforts to create regulated digital asset instruments, including stablecoins, tokenized securities and projects under the 65-measure plan. This combination places licensing, app distribution and local regulatory frameworks alongside the six-platform order.

What to watch

Future compliance with the September 15 order will be visible through whether the six named platforms continue to be restricted within the Astana International Financial Center and through their presence or absence in Google Play Store and Apple App Store access for Kazakhstan. The September 18 removal of LBank provides a reference point for how independent access blocking can affect court claims.

The next set of facts to watch are the seven platforms' license applications and any further restrictions or withdrawals by the Astana Financial Services Authority. The May framework, the presidential decree, the Tether Kazakh tenge stablecoin exploration and the $60 million tokenized Alatau projects by the end of 2026 may show how the regulatory and commercial environment develops around the court order.