Kazakhstan has shut down 36 illegal cryptocurrency exchanges in 2024 as part of its ongoing fight against money laundering. The Financial Monitoring Agency (FMA) of Kazakhstan announced the closures, highlighting the role of these unauthorized exchanges in facilitating illicit activities by not identifying clients or suspicious transactions. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of assets worth approximately $4.8 million. Despite these efforts, licensed global exchanges like Binance and Upbit continue to operate legally in the country. Meanwhile, Kazakhstan is progressing towards launching its central bank digital currency, the digital tenge, by 2025.