SKN | Australia Could Miss $17B Digital Asset Opportunity Without Clear Crypto Rules

Key Points

• Australia could unlock about $17 billion annually from digital assets and tokenized markets by 2030.
• Regulatory uncertainty and limited testing frameworks are slowing industry growth.
• Without policy changes, the country may capture only about $710 million in economic gains.

Australia could generate roughly 24 billion Australian dollars ($17 billion) annually from tokenized markets and digital asset innovation by 2030, according to new research.

The report, titled “Unlocking Australia’s $24b Digital Finance Opportunity,” was published by the Digital Finance Cooperative Research Centre in collaboration with the Digital Economy Council of Australia and supported by OKX.

Researchers say the gains could come from improvements in market access, more efficient payments infrastructure and the rise of tokenized financial assets.

Regulation Holding the Sector Back

Despite the potential upside, regulatory uncertainty remains the biggest barrier to growth.

The report identified coordination challenges among policymakers and limited pathways for pilot programs to expand into full-scale financial infrastructure.

One proposed solution is the creation of a regulatory sandbox where companies could test tokenized financial products under regulatory supervision. Such a framework could allow industry participants and regulators to collaborate while refining licensing standards and compliance structures.

Tokenized Markets and Digital Money

Tokenization could significantly reshape financial markets by improving liquidity and allowing broader investor participation.

The research suggests that tokenized assets could be directly integrated into automated trading, lending and collateral management systems through smart contracts.

In addition, digital forms of money — including stablecoins and central bank digital currencies — could streamline both domestic and cross-border payments by reducing reliance on traditional correspondent banking networks.

The report also recommended testing tokenized government bonds and a wholesale central bank digital currency within the proposed sandbox environment.

Risk of Falling Behind

Industry leaders warn that without clearer regulatory frameworks, Australia risks capturing only a fraction of the potential benefits.

According to projections from the DFCRC, the country is currently on track to generate just 1 billion Australian dollars (about $710 million) in annual economic gains from digital assets by 2030.

Kate Cooper said stronger regulatory clarity is essential to unlock long-term benefits and attract global capital.

She argued that institutional-grade infrastructure and consistent rules are key to building trust and ensuring Australia remains competitive in the evolving digital finance landscape.