Kazakhstan's financial regulator is preparing to send court orders to Apple and Google that would restrict mobile access to six cryptocurrency platforms, including Coinbase. The step draws app-store operators into the enforcement process alongside the crypto platforms themselves, extending the action beyond the exchanges to the mobile app-distribution layer.

The Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) announced the plan on Oct. 20 as part of its enforcement campaign against digital-asset services operating without authorization. The orders cover services offered within the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), a financial jurisdiction in Kazakhstan with its own court system, or to users located there.

Six Platforms Named

The orders name the operators of BingX, Bitcoin.com, Huobi Global (HTX), BitMart, Coinbase and WEEX.

AFSA issued the original default judgment on Sept. 15. A default judgment is entered when a party does not respond to a case. A variation order followed on Sept. 18, documented in AIFC Court Case No. 10 of 2026 – Variation Order.

The variation removed LBank from the list after its operator reported remedial measures. AFSA said LBank independently blocked access to its services in Kazakhstan.

The restrictions bar providing, offering or marketing digital-asset services without authorization in the AIFC or to users located there. They also prohibit distributing mobile apps through any platform for the purpose of providing those services — language that places app stores within the order's reach, not only the exchanges.

What the Orders Mean for Apple and Google

Apple and Google operate the two dominant mobile app marketplaces, so binding them targets how these services reach smartphones rather than the exchanges' own systems. Once notice is formally served, both companies become bound by the orders as if they were parties to the case. The orders also entitle both companies to request a variation or to have the orders set aside after acknowledging service.

AFSA's announcement says the orders “will be sent” to the operators of Google Play and the Apple App Store. The regulator has not confirmed that service has taken place or that any app restrictions are in effect.

For the six remaining platforms, AFSA said it will enforce access restrictions through the injunctions. Restrictions on app availability would affect one route users take to reach these services. The order does not explain what technical steps the app stores would take, nor does it specify where any restrictions would apply.

Voluntary Compliance and Licensing Plans

Nine other platforms voluntarily restricted access to their apps in Kazakhstan through both stores, and AFSA withdrew its claims against them as a result. Those nine form a separate group from the six operators still covered by the orders.

AFSA said seven platforms plan to obtain licenses to operate digital-asset trading facilities. According to the regulator, the proceedings follow warnings sent to more than 20 platforms in 2025. Court action began in early 2026.

Voluntary blocking, licensing plans, and standing injunctions mark out the distinct paths available to operators under the campaign.

Coinbase previously faced access restrictions in Kazakhstan in November 2023. The current plan adds a separate enforcement route focused specifically on app distribution.

For users of the six named platforms, the practical effect now depends on formal service and implementation, including the geographic settings of any app-store restrictions. The markers to watch are procedural: confirmation of service on the two app-store operators, whether Apple or Google acknowledge service or seek to vary or set aside the orders, and whether any of the six operators follow LBank in blocking access on their own.

Source: Blockonomi