Aussie Crypto Gets a Mate in High Places—You Won’t Believe Who!

Australia’s crypto chums are apparently doing backflips and high-fiving kangaroos after good old Andrew Charlton—a chap with a soft spot for Bitcoin and things that go beep in the night—was handed the keys to the kingdom as assistant minister for the digital economy, AI, and a smattering of other buzzwords that seem very 2025.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, pausing just long enough to let the cameras catch his good side, announced in Canberra that Charlton will team up with Tim Ayres, Minister for Industry and Innovation (presumably also Minister for Jazzy Job Titles), to ensure Australia keeps riding the wave of techno-wizardry instead of washing up face-first in the sand.

The pair’s mission? Oversee all those policies and programs that sound like homework but really just mean they get to say “blockchain” a lot at cocktail parties.

Charlton, never one to miss a moment in the limelight, previously told Parliament he likes his crypto with a pinch of sensible regulation and a side of growth. How very balanced—exactly the sort of thing Jeeves might suggest before pouring you another brandy.

Cryptocurrency is shaping the future of finance. Governments must support a balanced framework that encourages growth while ensuring security and trust. Let’s embrace the opportunities of a digital economy! #Cryptocurrency #Innovation @DECAustralia

— Andrew Charlton (@Charlton_AB) November 27, 2024

Meanwhile, Jason Titman, CEO of Swyftx and professional blockchain aficionado, chimed in to CryptoMoon, declaring the appointment “unequivocally good news.” (Unoquivocally. None of your equivocating nonsense here.) Titman reckons the entire blockchain industry is so delighted, they’re probably planning a celebratory BBQ as we speak. 🍖

“Andrew has a deep understanding of blockchain and a genuine belief in its ability to jazz up the Aussie economy,” Titman gushed. With bureaucratic top hats like Daniel Mulino coming aboard, Titman is hoping Charlton can finally get those digital asset laws rubber-stamped, because apparently, they’ve all been waiting longer than the queue at the post office on pension day.

Australian crypto industry: Performing Stronger Than a Wallaby on Red Bull

Vakul Talwar, who minds the shop at Crypto.com Australia, said in a suspiciously shiny statement that Charlton’s gig proves the digital economy is not just a passing fad—like low-carb Vegemite. Since 2022, the industry’s done a spot of growing up, and according to Talwar, it’s high time Parliament puts some guardrails on before things skid off into the shrubbery.

If statistics are to be believed (and why wouldn’t they be, eh?), around 31% of Australians own or have owned crypto—that’s roughly 6.2 million people, or about the same number who claim they only go to Bunnings for the sausage sizzle.

Edward Carroll, top banana at MHC Digital Group, mentioned that Charlton’s always been keen to keep the financial playground buzzing with new toys. He’s been barking up the digital assets tree for ages, talking up blockchain’s “transformative potential,” and suggesting that Australia should perhaps avoid being trampled under the enormous, muddy boots of global crypto regulations.

Not to be left out, Damian Kassabgi of the Tech Council of Australia practically burst a button, declaring that adding “digital economy” to a ministerial title was a thumping good sign for the future of Aussie jobs. No word on whether the Government plans to add “AI Tamer” or “Chief Metaverse Wrangler” next.

The Labor Party, freshly reissued by the voters, tossed a shiny crypto framework into the ring this March, promising to keep exchanges on a tight leash and to have a chinwag about debanking (whatever that is—it certainly sounds alarming, like being removed from a comfy sofa).

And back in August 2022, they kicked off some industry consultations, presumably involving much nodding, furrowed brows, and copious cups of mediocre coffee.

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2025-05-13 09:34