National Supervisory Authority & Licensing Qualification Dossier • Asia-Pacific
AUSTRAC
AustraliaAustralian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre
Source / Native Reference: 澳大利亚交易报告和分析中心
- Supervisory tier
- Tier-1
- License classes
- 3
- Licensed records
- 8
- Active / regulated
- 7
Statutory Supervisory Mandate & Scope
Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) is the Tier-1 statutory financial markets and securities supervisory authority in Australia. It grants and supervises financial services licences across broker-dealers, investment advisers, asset managers, and market operators, enforcing initial and ongoing prudential capital requirements, segregated client asset rules, market conduct standards, and public register disclosures.
Administers the Australian Financial Services Licence (AFSL) regime, supervises ASX/Cboe market integrity, enforces Product Intervention Orders (CFD leverage caps), and oversees managed investment schemes.
Prudential Tier Assessment
Tier-1Australia’s federal corporate, markets, financial services, and retail derivatives conduct regulator under the ASIC Act 2001 and Corporations Act 2001.
National licensing qualifications & statutory authorisation classes (AUSTRAC)
Authorisation categories, permitted institutional and retail activities, minimum initial capital adequacy, and ongoing prudential solvency rules enforced by AUSTRAC in Australia.
| License class / code | Official designation | Permitted institutional & retail activities | Minimum initial / base capital | Ongoing prudential & solvency rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFSL — Retail OTC Derivatives Issuer (Market Maker) | Australian Financial Services Licence — Making a Market in Derivatives & FX Contracts | Issuing and making a market in OTC derivatives, CFDs, margin FX, and commodities to retail and wholesale clients in Australia. | Greater of AUD $1,000,000 Net Tangible Assets (NTA) or 10% of average annual revenue (RG 166.93), with at least 50% held in cash/cash equivalents and 100% in liquid assets. | 12-month rolling cash flow projections, quarterly NTA stress-testing, 30:1 retail CFD leverage limit, mandatory 50% margin close-out, and Negative Balance Protection. |
| AFSL — Responsible Entity (RE) / Custodian | AFSL for Operating Registered Managed Investment Schemes & Custody | Operating retail ETFs, unit trusts, real estate funds, or acting as an institutional asset custodian. | AUD $10,000,000 minimum Net Tangible Assets (NTA) for Custodians / REs performing self-custody (or up to AUD $5M if using an eligible third-party custodian). | Strict compliance with ASIC RG 166 financial requirements and RG 133 custody standards. |
| AFSL — Wholesale / Securities Dealer & Adviser | AFSL for Dealing & Advising in Securities and Exchange-Traded Derivatives | Agency stockbroking, wholesale prime services, corporate advisory, and institutional portfolio management. | Base solvency + positive net assets + 3-month cash flow buffer (or AUD $10,000,000 core capital if an ASX/Cboe Clearing Participant). | ASIC Market Integrity Rules (Securities Markets), Design and Distribution Obligations (DDO / Target Market Determinations), and AFCA membership. |
Investor compensation, client money segregation & digital-asset regime
Statutory counterparty protections, custody reconciliation mandates, and virtual-asset licensing status under AUSTRAC.
Financial Claims Scheme (FCS — APRA ADIs) & Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR)
- Maximum coverage per client
- AUD $250,000 per account holder per APRA-authorised bank (FCS); up to AUD $150,000 for unpaid AFCA determinations covered by the CSLR (personal advice, credit, securities brokerage)
- Eligible counterparties & scope
- Retail clients as defined under Corporations Act s761G (net assets < AUD $2.5M or gross income < AUD $250k/yr). Note: OTC derivative issuer insolvency is protected primarily by 100% s981B client money trust segregation.
Corporations Act 2001 Part 7.8 Division 2 & ASIC Client Money Reporting Rules 2017
- Reconciliation & audit cadence
- Mandatory daily AND monthly reconciliation of reportable client money within 1 business day; strict ban on using retail derivative client money for broker hedging or working capital.
- Approved custodian requirements
- Client money must be held in an Australian ADI statutory trust account (or approved foreign bank); annual directors’ declaration and external audit report to ASIC.
AUSTRAC Digital Currency Exchange (DCE) Registration + ASIC INFO 225 Financial Product & Crypto-ETP Licensing
- Travel Rule, custody & stablecoin rules
- AUSTRAC AML/CTF Rules enforce payer/payee Travel Rule data; ASIC RG 133 requires AUD $10,000,000 minimum Net Tangible Assets (NTA) for primary asset custodians.
Primary Governing Statutes & Rulebooks
- Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) — Chapter 7 (Financial Services and Markets)
- ASIC Act 2001 & ASIC Regulatory Guide 166 (AFS Licensing: Financial Requirements)
- Corporations Amendment (Client Money) Act 2017 (Division 2 of Part 7.8 — s981A–s981H)
- ASIC Corporations (Product Intervention Order—Contracts for Difference) Instrument 2020/986 (extended to 2027)
Regulatory Reporting & Audit Obligations
Annual Form FS70 (Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet) and Form FS71 (Auditor’s Report) plus Client Money Reporting Rules annual auditASIC Derivative Transaction Rules (Reporting) 2024 (ISO 20022 UTI/UPI OTC derivatives trade reporting)Mandatory membership in the Australian Financial Complaints Authority (AFCA) for all retail-facing AFSL holders
Cross-Border Equivalence & Passporting
Foreign Financial Services Providers (FFSPs) from comparable Tier-1 regimes (US SEC/CFTC, UK FCA, SG MAS, HK SFC, DE BaFin, LU CSSF) may serve Australian Wholesale Clients only under the Foreign AFS Licence / Comparable Regulator Exemption; ASIC banned unsolicited retail onboarding of foreign residents.
Supervised institutions & AUSTRAC licence records in our database
8 licence records referencing AUSTRAC (7 regulated/registered, 1 flagged with warnings/revocations).
| Institution | Licence number | Status | Licensed legal entity | Effective date | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OKX | 22636269040 | Regulated | OKX AUSTRALIA PTY LTD | 2019-11-04 | |
| BAM(Global network record) | 100576141-001 | Regulated | InvestbyBit Pty Ltd | — | |
| Binance(Global network record) | 100576141-001 | Regulated | InvestbyBit Pty Ltd.(Binance Australia) | 2020-04 | |
| CheckOut(Global network record) | 616757969 | Regulated | Checkout | — | |
| LBank(Global network record) | Number pending check | Registered | LBK.INFO PTY. LTD | — | |
| Broker-4317(Global network record) | Number pending check | Regulated | Broker-4317 | 2021 | |
| Pionex(Global network record) | 665 262 868 | Revoked | Pionex | 2024-12-10 | |
| CoinJar(Global network record) | DCE100749118‐001 | Regulated | CoinJar Australia Pty Ltd | 2013 |
AUSTRAC (Australia): institutional licensing & due diligence FAQ
Key statutory capital, compensation, custody segregation, and verification answers for compliance teams.
What are the primary licensing classes and minimum capital requirements under AUSTRAC (Australia)?
AUSTRAC (Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre) supervises financial institutions in Australia under Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) — Chapter 7 (Financial Services and Markets) and ASIC Act 2001 & ASIC Regulatory Guide 166 (AFS Licensing: Financial Requirements). Key statutory authorisation classes include: AFSL — Retail OTC Derivatives Issuer (Market Maker) (Australian Financial Services Licence — Making a Market in Derivatives & FX Contracts — min. capital: Greater of AUD $1,000,000 Net Tangible Assets (NTA) or 10% of average annual revenue (RG 166.93), with at least 50% held in cash/cash equivalents and 100% in liquid assets.); AFSL — Responsible Entity (RE) / Custodian (AFSL for Operating Registered Managed Investment Schemes & Custody — min. capital: AUD $10,000,000 minimum Net Tangible Assets (NTA) for Custodians / REs performing self-custody (or up to AUD $5M if using an eligible third-party custodian).); AFSL — Wholesale / Securities Dealer & Adviser (AFSL for Dealing & Advising in Securities and Exchange-Traded Derivatives — min. capital: Base solvency + positive net assets + 3-month cash flow buffer (or AUD $10,000,000 core capital if an ASX/Cboe Clearing Participant).). Ongoing prudential supervision requires strict adherence to capital adequacy and liquidity buffers.
Does AUSTRAC provide statutory investor compensation and mandatory client asset segregation?
Under AUSTRAC's framework, investor protection is governed by Financial Claims Scheme (FCS — APRA ADIs) & Compensation Scheme of Last Resort (CSLR) with maximum coverage of AUD $250,000 per account holder per APRA-authorised bank (FCS); up to AUD $150,000 for unpaid AFCA determinations covered by the CSLR (personal advice, credit, securities brokerage) (Retail clients as defined under Corporations Act s761G (net assets < AUD $2.5M or gross income < AUD $250k/yr). Note: OTC derivative issuer insolvency is protected primarily by 100% s981B client money trust segregation.). For client money and custody assets, supervised firms must comply with Corporations Act 2001 Part 7.8 Division 2 & ASIC Client Money Reporting Rules 2017, performing mandatory daily and monthly reconciliation of reportable client money within 1 business day; strict ban on using retail derivative client money for broker hedging or working capital. with client money must be held in an australian adi statutory trust account (or approved foreign bank); annual directors’ declaration and external audit report to asic..
How does AUSTRAC regulate digital assets, crypto exchanges (VASPs/CASPs), and stablecoins?
AUSTRAC's digital-asset regime is structured around AUSTRAC Digital Currency Exchange (DCE) Registration + ASIC INFO 225 Financial Product & Crypto-ETP Licensing (AUSTRAC AML/CTF registration mandatory for fiat-to-crypto exchanges; ASIC regulates crypto derivatives, tokenized funds, and Spot Bitcoin/Ether ETFs on ASX/Cboe under AFSL.). Custody and AML/CFT compliance obligations require: AUSTRAC AML/CTF Rules enforce payer/payee Travel Rule data; ASIC RG 133 requires AUD $10,000,000 minimum Net Tangible Assets (NTA) for primary asset custodians.
How can I verify an institution's AUSTRAC licence number and check our 8 recorded licence entries?
Our database currently tracks 8 licence records referencing AUSTRAC (7 marked regulated or registered). To verify a counterparty at the primary source, open AUSTRAC's official public register (https://www.austrac.gov.au/), search by the exact reference number and legal entity name, and confirm that the firm's domain and permitted activities match its statutory authorisation.
Related regulatory & market structure briefings
Research and compliance analysis from Sovereign Tax Atlas relevant to AUSTRAC and Australia.
Sovereign Tax & Treaty Architecture
OECD Pillar Two 15% Global Minimum Tax (QDMTT, IIR & UTPR), CARF Digital-Asset Reporting, and Cross-Border Financial Withholding Tax Architecture (2026)
An authoritative 2026 sovereign tax reference analyzing OECD/G20 GloBE 15% minimum effective tax rate (ETR) mechanics, QDMTT/IIR/UTPR charging priority for multinational banks and brokers, Investment Entity exclusions, IRC Section 871(m) dividend equivalents, and OECD CARF / EU DAC8 automatic exchange.
Cross-Border Tax Treaties
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Institutional fund domicile selection refers to structuring cross-border vehicles to cut U.S. and EU dividend withholding taxes from 30% to 0%–15% under bilateral tax treaties.
OECD Pillar Two & Global Minimum Tax
OECD Pillar Two 15% Global Minimum Tax: GloBE Rules, QDMTT, IIR & UTPR Institutional Reference (2026)
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OECD Pillar Two & Global Minimum Tax
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OECD Pillar Two 15% Global Minimum Tax (GloBE, QDMTT, IIR & UTPR) (OECD-GLOBE-QDMTT) stands at 15.0% (Minimum Effective Tax Rate) (Source: OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework, 2026-10-20), governing dividend, interest, and roya
Statutory licensing classes, base capital rules, and investor protection summaries for AUSTRAC (Australia) are maintained for institutional benchmarking and do not constitute legal advice. Always verify current rulebooks and active firm authorisations directly on AUSTRAC’s official public register.