Equilex

AUSTRAC DCE - AUSTRALIA

Crypto-regulated company to start business in Oceania

From price

from EUR 16,500

Timeline

from 3 months

Quick facts

Regulator / authority

Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC)

Coverage

Exchange of digital currency for fiat (and vice versa), wallet storage

Best for

Operate as a crypto exchange or as an OTC crypto desk with such a type of company easily

Local presence

Required (Australian entity)

Substance level

Medium (the company should have a local address; the director can be a foreigner or local with the necessary qualifications; a qualified compliance officer should be Australian from March 2026)

Banking friendliness

High

Who this is for

Best fit

  • Hold crypto temporarily for exchange purposes
  • Facilitate buy/sell transactions
  • Run crypto exchange without big share capital requirements
  • On-ramp and off-ramp services in one place

What you can do (scope)

  • Exchange crypto ↔ fiat
  • Exchange crypto ↔ crypto
  • Operate a crypto brokerage
  • Operate an OTC crypto desk
  • Facilitate buy/sell transactions
  • Hold crypto temporarily for exchange purposes
  • On-ramp / off-ramp services

Requirements overview

Company & presence

The legal entity should be registered in Australia, and a local Australian address should be provided. It's necessary to have an Australian-qualified director

Key persons / governance

1 shareholder, 1 director, 1 compliance officer (should be local from March 2026)

Capital / safeguarding / bonds

Minimum capital: 1 AUD

AML/CTF baseline expectations

Risk assessment and management matrix; red flag indicator sheet; AML/CTF program; client identification and verification procedures

Reporting / audits

Suspicious Matter Reports (SMR); Threshold Transaction Reports (TTR); International Funds Transfer Instructions (IFTI); Independent AML/CTF audit (key requirement); Record-keeping requirements (KYC/CDD records, AML/CTF Program versions, training records)

Process (end-to-end steps)

1

Step 1: Eligibility & scope mapping

Confirm your activities fall under AUSTRAC designated services and whether AFSL is also needed

2

Step 2: Entity setup

Register an Australian company (e.g. with ASIC) and secure a local address

3

Step 3: Documentation pack

Corporate documents for the legal entity (certificate of registration of a Company, share certificate, constitution, etc.); risk assessment and management matrix; red flag indicator sheet; AML/CTF program; client identification and verification procedures

4

Step 4: AUSTRAC registration

Submit DCE registration and respond to AUSTRAC queries

5

Step 5: Compliance program

Implement and maintain AML/CTF program, reporting, and record-keeping

6

Step 6: Ongoing compliance

Meet SMR, TTR, IFTI obligations and independent audit requirements

What's included in our support

  • Advising on your AUSTRAC application
  • Registration of legal entity with ASIC (Australian Securities and Investments Commission)
  • Preparation of corporate documents for legal entity (certificate of registration of a Company, share certificate, constitution, etc.) and AML documents (risk assessment and management matrix; red flag indicator sheet; AML/CTF program; client identification and verification procedures)
  • Legal address for 1 year

FAQ

AUSTRAC is Australia's AML/CTF regulator supervising money services, payments, remittances, and crypto exchanges

Ready to get started?

Discuss your license and timeline with our team. We'll get back to you within 24 hours.