New Zealand | Crypto

New Zealand’s financial watchdog outlawed crypto ATMs, citing regulatory gaps and AML concerns and raising questions about retail access and compliance. On July 17, 2025, New Zealand’s government made a defining move in its ongoing battle against financial crime: It announced a nationwide ban on cryptocurrency ATMs.  The decision, spearheaded by Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee, is part of a sweeping reform of the country’s Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) regime.  Read more

With 221 machines nationwide, New Zealand joins countries reining in crypto kiosks over rising financial crime concerns.

Authorities in New Zealand arrested 13 people in a $265 million crypto fraud probe, with one Wellington man indicted under US racketeering laws. A man from Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand, has been arrested in connection with an FBI-led investigation into a global cryptocurrency fraud operation that allegedly stole $450 million New Zealand dollars ($265 million). According to New Zealand Police, the man is one of 13 individuals charged after authorities executed search warrants across Auckland, Wellington, and California over the past three days. The charges stem from allegations that members of an organized criminal group manipulated seven victims to obtain large amounts of cryptocurrency, which was then laundered through multiple platforms between March and August 2024. Read more