Crypto.com Acquires Australian Brokerage Fintek Securities

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Hassan Shittu

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Hassan Shittu

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Hassan, a Cryptonews.com journalist with 6+ years of experience in Web3 journalism, brings deep knowledge across Crypto, Web3 Gaming, NFTs, and Play-to-Earn sectors. His work has appeared in...

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Last updated: 

November 13, 2024

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Crypto.com has marked a significant milestone in its global expansion by acquiring Fintek Securities, a licensed brokerage in Australia.

This acquisition allows Crypto.com to provide a broader range of financial products to eligible Australian users, including deposit products, derivatives, securities, and foreign exchange.

With Fintek’s Australian Financial Services Licence from the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), Crypto.com can now access a well-regulated market.

The acquisition also aligns with Crypto.com’s recent strategies, including its recent acquisition of the U.S.-based brokerage Watchdog Capital.

Crypto.com Acquires Fintek: A New Leverage to Increase Crypto Adoption In Australia?

This acquisition solidifies Crypto.com’s presence in Australia, building on previous market entries, including the 2020 acquisition of The Card Group to secure a foothold in the Australian payments market.

By integrating Fintek Securities, a brokerage known for using MetaTrader 5 (MT5) for contracts for differences (CFD) trading, Crypto.com can now extend sophisticated brokerage capabilities to eligible users within a highly regulated environment.

This expansion occurs amidst stricter compliance measures in Australia, where the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) has taken a firm stance on unlicensed trading and improper offerings.

The challenge for Crypto.com will be to align its new products with Australia’s Design and Distribution Obligations (DDO), which require detailed criteria for eligible users and mandate close oversight of derivatives, margin products, and other financial instruments.

The acquisition also represents Crypto.com’s second acquisition aimed at securing traditional brokerage licenses within major markets, with the first being its recent acquisition of SEC-registered Watchdog Capital.

That move granted Crypto.com the ability to offer equities and options trading to eligible U.S. users.

With these acquisitions, Crypto.com is working to establish itself as a bridge between crypto and conventional finance.

This will enable it to expand its services in regulated markets and provide an all-in-one destination for diverse financial needs.

As CEO Kris Marszalek said:

“The goal is to create one destination for all financial services where users can simplify their experience and maximize rewards.”

The Roadmap Ahead: A One-Stop Platform for Financial Services

Crypto.com’s vision is to create a unified platform where users can access a full spectrum of financial services, integrating traditional and digital finance.

The acquisition of Fintek allows Crypto.com to offer deposit products, securities, and managed investment schemes to Australian users.

This aligns with Marszalek’s broader strategy to simplify user financial management by consolidating services under one umbrella, thus eliminating the need for separate platforms for banking, trading, and digital assets.

“The path of the Crypto.com roadmap is to ambitiously expand our offering by providing customers the most comprehensive set of financial services, and this acquisition is the latest step in that journey.”

While further details of the Fintek-powered services are yet to be revealed, the acquisition will enhance Crypto.com’s Level Up program, which aims to expand customer rewards and benefits across multiple financial products.

The company’s next steps will involve launching these expanded services in compliance with ASIC regulations and tailoring them to meet the Australian market’s specific demands.

Amid all these, the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (FSC) recently added Foris DAX MT, the operator of Crypto.com, to its financial warning list on November 6. The FSC has assigned the Warsaw regional prosecutor’s office to investigate Crypto.com’s activities.