Pepperstone Debuts Standalone Crypto Exchange in Australia

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Pepperstone has launched a dedicated spot cryptocurrency exchange in Australia, marking a new step for the contracts for differences (CFDs) broker as it expands beyond its long-standing derivatives offering.

The new platform, branded Pepperstone Crypto, operates via a separate website and is currently available only to Australian users. The exchange went live on Thursday, following earlier remarks by CEO Tamas Szabo, who announced plans for the initiative last November at the AusCryptoCon convention.

At launch, the platform lists five cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana, along with two US dollar-pegged stablecoins, USDC and USDT. All trading pairs are denominated against the Australian dollar. The company said additional cryptocurrencies are expected to be added in the future.

Pepperstone Crypto is offering a flat trading fee of 0.1 per cent. According to Szabo, the rollout focused on liquidity, platform performance and security.

"The key focus areas have been ensuring deep liquidity, maintaining platform stability during peak trading, and supporting secure deposit and withdrawal processes," Szabo said. "The team has worked carefully to address these considerations, allowing the launch to proceed as planned."

Pepperstone has previously provided cryptocurrency exposure through CFDs. While the brand remains consistent, the company is maintaining operational separation between its existing CFD business and the new spot crypto exchange.

Szabo noted that the firm's broader CFD operations, which process more than USD 6 billion in monthly crypto CFD trading volume, support liquidity and execution capabilities for the new platform.

The company has developed its crypto infrastructure in-house. Szabo described the approach as resource-intensive but said it offers "full oversight of execution quality, deep liquidity, pricing and system security."

Pepperstone's move reflects a broader trend among CFD brokers seeking to expand into direct crypto trading. In the United Kingdom, IG Group partnered with Uphold to provide spot crypto services and later secured its own cryptoasset licence from the Financial Conduct Authority. The firm also acquired a crypto exchange regulated in Australia and Singapore, with plans to introduce additional crypto-related services in Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

CMC Markets has outlined plans to incorporate decentralised finance (DeFi) products as part of its strategy to evolve into a "super app." The company has also established a Bermuda-based entity licensed to conduct digital asset business, positioning it to expand crypto services to international clients.

Other industry participants, including XTB and Capital.com, are also exploring potential crypto product launches as competition in the sector intensifies.