The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), an independent government body that acts as the national corporate regulator, has identified regulatory gaps in fast-growing fintech areas, particularly digital assets.

The regulator’s new report titled “Key Issues Outlook 2026“Issues Tuesday expressed concerns that consumers are being exposed to increasingly proliferating and unlicensed crypto, payments and artificial intelligence companies.

It argued that it was for the government to determine whether these new products or services should be brought under regulatory purview, while warning that some entities could seek to remain active without a license, adding to “perceived regulatory uncertainty”.

The behavior of some firms dictates that ASIC is focused on looking at regulatory boundaries in 2026 and keeping licensing rules clear, the regulator said.

This comes weeks after Australia introduced amendments to the Corporations Act 2001 and the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 to develop rules for dealing with consumer digital assets.