Amendments No. 15 to AIFC Conduct of Business Rules
Amendments No. 15 to the AIFC Conduct of Business Rules, approved on 7 December 2025 and commencing on 1 January 2026, modify the exclusions in section 1.2.2 regarding which Centre Participants are exempt from specific COB requirements. The text specifies that Authorised Crowdfunding Platforms are exempt from most COB rules except for COB 3, COB 4, COB 7, COB 8, and COB Schedule 2, while Money Service Providers are exempt except for COB 3, COB 4, COB 7, COB 8, COB 15, COB 16, COB Schedule 2, and COB Schedule 5. For Authorised Crowdfunding Platforms, references to 'Authorised Firms' are read as 'an Authorised Crowdfunding Platforms', 'Regulated Activities' as 'Market Activities', 'Professional Client' or 'Market Counterparty' as 'Accredited Lender or Accredited Investor', and 'Retail Client' as 'Retail Lender or Retail Investor'.
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AMENDMENTS No. 15
AIFC CONDUCT OF BUSINESS RULES
Approval Date: 7 December 2025
Commencement Date: 1 January 2026
Astana, Kazakhstan
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Within the amendments to
the AIFC Crowdfunding Framework
In these amendments, underlining indicates a new text and strikethrough indicates a
removed text.
(…)
APPLICATION
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1.2. Modifications and exclusions
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1.2.2. Exclusions in relation to certain categories of Centre Participant
For the avoidance of doubt, the requirements in COB do not apply to:
(a) a Representative Office;
(b) unless otherwise provided under Rules made by the AFSA, an Authorised
Market Institution (other than an Authorised Crowdfunding Platform), except for
COB 3 (Communications with Clients and Financial Promotions);
(c) an Authorised Crowdfunding Platform, except for COB 3 (Communications with
Clients and Financial Promotions), COB 4 (Key Information and Client
Agreement), COB 7 (Conflicts of Interest), COB 8 (Client Assets) and COB
Schedule 2 (Key Information and Content of Client Agreement); or
(d) [intentionally omitted]
(e) unless otherwise provided under Rules made by the AFSA, a MTF Operator and
an OTF Operator, except for COB 15 (Complaints Handling and Dispute
Resolution);
(f) a Credit Rating Agency, except for COB 14 (Credit Rating Agencies).
(g) A Money Service Provider, except for COB 3 (Communications with Clients and
Financial Promotions), COB 4 (Key Information and Client Agreement), COB 7
(Conflicts of Interest), COB 8 (Client Assets), COB 15 (Complaints Handling and
Dispute Resolution), COB 16 (Record Keeping and Internal Audit), COB
Schedule 2 (Key Information and Content of Client Agreement) and COB
Schedule 5 (Financial Promotions).
For the purposes of 1.2.2(c), references in COB 3, COB 4, COB 7, COB 8 and COB
Schedule 2 to:
(a) "Authorised Firms" shall be read as if it were a reference to "an Authorised
Crowdfunding Platforms";
(b) "Regulated Activities" shall be read as if it were a reference to "Market
Activities";
(c) references to "Professional Client" or a "Market Counterparty" shall be read as
if they were a reference to "Accredited Lender or Accredited Investor"; and
[intentionally omitted]
(d) references to "Retail Client" shall be read as if they were a reference to "Retail
Lender or Retail Investor". [intentionally omitted]
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