Australia vs Tonga
Crypto regulation comparison
Australia
Tonga
Legal
No Regulation
Cryptocurrency is legal and well-regulated in Australia. AUSTRAC oversees AML/CTF compliance for exchanges, ASIC handles consumer protection, and the ATO treats crypto as property for tax purposes. Australia has been developing a comprehensive licensing framework for digital asset platforms.
Tonga has no specific cryptocurrency regulation. There has been legislative interest in adopting Bitcoin as legal tender but no legislation has been enacted.
Tax Type
Capital gains
Tax Type
None
Tax Rate
0-45%
Tax Rate
N/A
Exchanges
Yes
Exchanges
Yes
Mining
Yes
Mining
Yes
Regulator
ASIC, AUSTRAC, ATO
Regulator
National Reserve Bank of Tonga
Stablecoin Rules
Stablecoins to be regulated under proposed payments framework legislation
Stablecoin Rules
No stablecoin regulation
Key Points
- Digital currency exchanges must register with AUSTRAC and comply with AML/CTF Act
- ATO treats cryptocurrency as a CGT asset; holding for 12+ months qualifies for 50% discount
- ASIC regulates crypto products that qualify as financial products under the Corporations Act
- Treasury released a token mapping consultation in 2023 to classify digital assets
- Proposed licensing regime for digital asset platforms under development
Key Points
- No specific cryptocurrency legislation
- Legislative interest in Bitcoin legal tender discussed
- National Reserve Bank provides monetary oversight
- Limited crypto infrastructure
- No licensing framework for crypto services