Crypto can be confusing. There is technical jargon, a constant stream of hype, and a lot of people with something to sell. Crypto Markets exists to give Australians clear, neutral information: what crypto actually is, the risks to understand, how to protect yourself from scams, and how tax and regulation work here.
We are independent. We do not run an exchange, sell coins, rank platforms or take commissions from crypto businesses. Our guides are based on official Australian sources such as ASIC's Moneysmart, AUSTRAC, the Australian Taxation Office, Scamwatch and the Reserve Bank of Australia.
What crypto is, briefly
Cryptocurrencies, or crypto-assets, are digital tokens that are recorded on a shared digital ledger, usually a blockchain, rather than by a bank. Bitcoin, launched in 2009, was the first. Thousands of others now exist. Crypto is not legal tender in Australia, and it is not backed or guaranteed by the government or the Reserve Bank. Read what is cryptocurrency?
2009
Bitcoin launched
The first cryptocurrency
April 2027
New platform licensing
Digital asset platforms come under ASIC licensing
CGT
Tax treatment
Crypto investments are generally CGT assets
Start here
Crypto basics explains how crypto works: blockchains, Bitcoin, stablecoins and wallets, in plain English.
Risks and scams covers the main risks Moneysmart highlights, the warning signs of crypto scams, and how to check whether a platform is registered with AUSTRAC.
Tax and rules summarises how the ATO treats crypto, and how Australian regulation is changing, including the new digital asset platform laws.
The risks in one paragraph
Moneysmart warns that crypto-assets are highly speculative and that prices can be extremely volatile. Crypto platforms may not have the protections of regulated financial services, they can be hacked or collapse, and if you lose access to your wallet your crypto may be gone forever. Scams are widespread. If you decide to buy crypto, Moneysmart suggests only investing money you can afford to lose. Read the risks of crypto.
Scams: stop, check, protect
Scamwatch's advice is simple: stop before you act on an unexpected offer, check whether it is real, and protect yourself by acting quickly if something has gone wrong. Our scam warning-sign checker walks you through the red flags, and crypto scams explains the most common types, from fake trading platforms to romance scams.
Checking a platform
Businesses that exchange crypto for money in Australia must be registered with AUSTRAC as virtual asset service providers. You can search AUSTRAC's public register. ASIC also keeps an investor alert list of entities it has concerns about. Registration is a minimum legal requirement, not a seal of approval. See how to check a crypto platform.
Tax
The ATO treats crypto held as an investment as a capital gains tax asset. Selling, swapping one coin for another, gifting or spending crypto can all be CGT events, and staking rewards are generally income. Read crypto tax basics.
The rules are changing
In April 2026 Parliament passed the Corporations Amendment (Digital Assets Framework) Act 2026. From 9 April 2027, digital asset platforms and tokenised custody platforms will need an Australian financial services licence, supervised by ASIC. Read crypto regulation in Australia.
About this site
From around 2018, cryptomarkets.com.au hosted "Crypto Markets Australia", a directory of exchange reviews and coin pages. That directory is no longer running. Crypto Markets relaunched in 2026 as an independent, general-information guide written from scratch. We do not publish exchange reviews or rankings. Read about us and our editorial policy.
