Stake's Curaçao licence questioned after document leak

A leaked document has raised questions about the validity of the Curaçao gambling licence held by Stake, the crypto-native platform co-founded by Ed Craven. The story was reported by the Australian Financial Review on 25 September 2026. The specific nature of the document and the precise licence validity question it raises are not fully detailed in available source material, but the leak is being treated as a material compliance event given Stake's scale and its prominence in APAC markets.

Stake operates under a Curaçao licence and is one of the most widely used crypto gambling platforms globally, with a significant user base across Australia and broader Asia-Pacific. The platform has faced regulatory scrutiny in Australia previously, including attention from Australian federal authorities over its operations targeting Australian residents.

Curaçao is in the middle of a substantial regulatory reform process. The jurisdiction has been tightening its licensing framework, moving from a master licence and sublicence structure toward a new National Ordinance on Games of Hazard regime. This transition has already created uncertainty for operators holding licences issued under the old framework. A leak that specifically questions the validity of one of the most high-profile licences issued under that jurisdiction adds a new and public dimension to that uncertainty.