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governance ASIC
$250.0M

ASIC "comprehensively failed" on ASX CHESS blockchain project — $250M written off under its watch

ASIC's own final report found the regulator failed to act on repeated red flags about ASX's governance failures during the seven-year CHESS blockchain replacement project. ASX ultimately wrote off $250M and abandoned the project in November 2022. A Senate inquiry found ASIC had "comprehensively failed" its supervisory role, missing multiple intervention points that could have protected market participants.

Department: ASIC
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What This Means

$250.0M of Australian taxpayer money was wasted at ASIC. ASIC's own final report found the regulator failed to act on repeated red flags about ASX's governance failures during the seven-year CHESS blockchain replacement project. ASX ultimately wrote off $250M and abandoned the project in November 2022. A Senate inquiry found ASIC had "comprehensively failed" its supervisory role, missing multiple intervention points that could have protected market participants.

Spread across Australia's 10.8 million households, that's roughly $23 per family — enough in total for funding 167 fully equipped school classrooms.

  • ASX blew $250M on a failed blockchain project.
  • ASIC watched it happen for 7 years without intervening.
  • A Senate inquiry found ASIC "comprehensively failed." Your financial markets regulator can't regulate.
Amount Spent
Not specified
Original Estimate
Not specified
Waste / Overrun
$250,000,000
AI Confidence
0%

Analysis

ASX blew $250M on a failed blockchain project. ASIC watched it happen for 7 years without intervening. A Senate inquiry found ASIC "comprehensively failed." Your financial markets regulator can't regulate. @reckonerAU

Sources

https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/australias-regulator-flags-governance-risk-failures-asx-final-report-2026-04-01/
Category: governance
Severity: high
Agency: ASIC
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Department: ASIC
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