A Kazakhstan court has ordered the blocking of foreign cryptocurrency platform apps in the country’s app stores, including Coinbase and HTX.

Cryptopolitan, a blockchain media outlet, reported on Oct. 20 that the Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) said the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) court ordered Apple and Google to block access in Kazakhstan to the exchanges.

The list includes Coinbase, BingX, Bitcoin.com, HTX, BitMart, LBank and WEEX. Until they obtain an AIFC licence, the platforms cannot provide or advertise digital asset services within the AIFC.

According to an AFSA notice, the court on Sept. 15 accepted an AFSA claim and ordered the operators to halt service provision and advertising. AFSA Chief Executive Yevgeniya Bogdanova said the decision was the result of efforts by supervisory and enforcement bodies.

Kazakhstan previously blocked access to the Coinbase website in 2023. Local media outlet Kursiv reported that the Ministry of Culture and Information at the time judged Coinbase to have violated Article 11(5) of the country’s digital assets law, which bans unlicensed cryptocurrency trading outside the AIFC. Users were still able to access Coinbase and other major exchanges through VPN apps at the time.

Of more than 20 platforms that received written warnings in 2025, 9 voluntarily restricted app access in Kazakhstan and related claims were withdrawn. A claim against LBank’s operator was also withdrawn after it blocked local access on Sept. 18. The remaining 6, including Coinbase and HTX, became subject to enforcement of a court order.

It is also notable that Coinbase and HTX were included together among the enforcement targets. Coinbase is licensed to operate in the United States, Britain and Canada, while HTX has been sanctioned by Britain and the European Union over suspicions of Russian funds inflows. It has not been confirmed that Kazakhstan’s authorities raised the same suspicions about Coinbase.

The court judged that unlicensed operations undermine the AIFC regulatory framework and create unfair competition for licensed operators that comply with anti-money laundering requirements and know-your-customer obligations. AFSA has coordinated since May 2026 with the National Bank of Kazakhstan, which supervises digital asset operators outside the AIFC.

The move is seen as an effort to block access to foreign crypto platforms while steering operators into the AIFC licensing system. Key points to watch include whether Apple and Google comply with the order and whether the platforms obtain licences or block local access.