2026 has started with a clear global trend: regulators are moving fast to close compliance gaps in crypto. As governments tighten oversight, a key question emerges—is this regulatory push laying the groundwork for crypto’s next major breakout?
Even U.S. SEC Chair Paul Atkins recently acknowledged that “clear legislation and well-defined rules deliver market certainty.” Across regions, actions are now matching that sentiment.
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan Cracks Down on Unlicensed Crypto Platforms
Despite ambitions to build a future “crypto-city,” Kazakhstan intensified enforcement in 2025. The country’s Agency for Financial Monitoring (AFM) targeted illegal crypto activity to strengthen compliance.
🔹 1,135 criminal cases investigated
🔹 141.5 billion tenge reimbursed to victims
🔹 22 unlicensed crypto exchanges shut down
🔹 $16.7 million in crypto seized
The move signals that innovation will only be tolerated within a regulated framework.
🇮🇹 Italy Targets Unregistered Platforms & Finfluencers
Italy is also stepping up enforcement to bring crypto fully in line with EU rules.
📌 Unregistered Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) have until December 2026 to obtain licenses
📌 Authorities have already blocked over 1,500 unregistered investment sites
Italy’s securities regulator CONSOB has also issued a strong warning to crypto “finfluencers.”
On 12 January 2026, CONSOB published guidance aligned with ESMA, clarifying that:
Promoting financial products on social media is not the same as advertising consumer goods.
Any post recommending what to buy, sell, or avoid may now be considered investment advice, requiring formal regulatory authorization. Simply adding “this is not investment advice” will no longer be enough.
🔍 The Bigger Picture
From Central Asia to Europe, regulators are sending a consistent message:
Crypto is moving from the grey zone into a fully regulated financial system.
If 2026 becomes crypto’s true breakout year, these actions may be less about suppression—and more about preparing the rails for institutional-scale adoption.
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