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Crypto and money laundering: What you need to know

Crypto money laundering involves structured methods to conceal illicit fund origins and evade regulations, including AML.

Crypto money laundering involves concealing illegally obtained funds by funneling them through cryptocurrency transactions to obscure their origin. Criminals may operate offchain but move funds onchain to facilitate laundering.

Traditionally, illicit money was moved using couriers or informal networks like Hawala. However, with the rise of digital assets, bad actors now exploit blockchain technology to transfer large amounts of money. With evolving techniques and increasing regulation, authorities continue working to track and mitigate the misuse of cryptocurrencies for money laundering.

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BlackRock’s BUIDL expands to Solana as tokenized money market fund nears $2B

Senator Warren urges Trump’s Treasury pick to consider stricter crypto regs

One crypto executive speculates Warren’s letter is a veiled attempt to justify an expansion of regulation against “neutral crypto technology providers.”

US Senator Elizabeth Warren has penned an open letter to US President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the US Treasury, urging him to evaluate stricter regulations and enforcement measures for digital assets if he takes office. 

In the Jan. 12 open letter, Warren asked Treasury Secretary-designate Scott Bessent if the Treasury Department should have more power to sanction the crypto sector.

“Should AML/CFT and sanctions programs include risk-based provisions reasonably designed to prevent money laundering or terrorist financing involving digital assets,” wrote Warren, who is soon to be the top Democrat on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. 

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BlackRock’s BUIDL expands to Solana as tokenized money market fund nears $2B

One thing disruptor banks didn’t expect to be challenging: Compliance

Innovative challengers are building compliance into their DNA and outcompeting established players.

Opinion by: Michael Carbonara, CEO of Ibanera

Each year, an estimated $800 billion to $2 trillion is laundered globally, accounting for 2%–5% of global gross domestic product. The money moves through the world’s biggest banks, whose penalties for regulatory failures often make headline news. TD Bank accrued $3 billion in charges over alleged Anti-Money Laundering (AML) failures this past quarter. Citigroup was fined $136 million for “insufficient progress toward compliance.” Even disruptor Starling Bank, which celebrated its 10th anniversary this year, was fined $39 million last month for “shockingly lax” AML screening.

At first glance, compliance may seem straightforward — implementing Know Your Customer (KYC), verifying legitimacy and monitoring each transaction to prevent illicit activity. These basic principles should be easy to implement, especially for some of the world’s largest banks. That’s not the case. 

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BlackRock’s BUIDL expands to Solana as tokenized money market fund nears $2B

South Korea Vows to Crack Down on Crypto Money Laundering

South Korea Vows to Crack Down on Crypto Money LaunderingSouth Korea’s financial regulator says it is taking steps to combat money laundering and other financial crimes involving virtual assets. Virtual Assets and Financial Crime The head of South Korea‘s financial services industry regulator recently vowed to crack down on those who use virtual assets for money laundering. Speaking at Anti-Money Laundering Day, Kim Byung-hwan, […]

BlackRock’s BUIDL expands to Solana as tokenized money market fund nears $2B

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong Brands $213,000,000,000 Anti-Money Laundering Regulations As Policy Failures

Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong Brands 3,000,000,000 Anti-Money Laundering Regulations As Policy Failures

Coinbase chief Brian Armstrong says that the US government’s efforts to curb money laundering have been a failure and a misuse of public funds. In a post on the social media platform X, Armstrong says that the US anti-money laundering (AML) policies should be reviewed by President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) […]

The post Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong Brands $213,000,000,000 Anti-Money Laundering Regulations As Policy Failures appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

BlackRock’s BUIDL expands to Solana as tokenized money market fund nears $2B

New York Regulator Hiring Blockchain Analyst to Tackle Crypto Crimes

New York Regulator Hiring Blockchain Analyst to Tackle Crypto CrimesNew York’s financial regulator has a job opening for a Virtual Currency Senior Blockchain Analytics Analyst. The permanent position focuses on preventing financial crimes such as money laundering and fraud by ensuring compliance in the growing virtual currency sector. The role involves using blockchain analytics to monitor risks. Applications are due by Oct. 14. New […]

BlackRock’s BUIDL expands to Solana as tokenized money market fund nears $2B

Academic paper suggests governments should attack public blockchains

Crypto exchange Kraken has announced the delisting of Monero in the European Economic Area to maintain compliance with EU regulations.

An academic paper titled: "Reconciliation of Anti-Money Laundering Instruments and European Data Protection Requirements in Permissionless Blockchain Spaces" published in the Journal of Cybersecurity suggests that governments should target cryptocurrencies — especially privacy preserving chains — to combat money laundering.

The author of the paper outlined several methods of undermining trust in permissionless blockchains including 51% attacks, price suppression, and Sybil attacks — a type of malicious activity in which a single user creates multiple accounts to manipulate a network. The author asserted:

However, the paper also argued that these methods should only be used as a "last resort" to combat money laundering after other policy initiatives such as blacklisting wallet addresses, flagging transactions, sanctions, and other regulations have been exhausted.

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BlackRock’s BUIDL expands to Solana as tokenized money market fund nears $2B

Binance Secures 20th Global Milestone With Argentina Crypto Registration

Binance Secures 20th Global Milestone With Argentina Crypto RegistrationCrypto exchange Binance has achieved a significant milestone by joining Argentina’s Virtual Asset Service Providers Registry, marking its 20th global regulatory achievement. This allows Binance to expand its full range of services to Argentina-based users, further embedding itself in the country’s cryptocurrency market. Binance Joins Argentina’s Crypto Registry, Strengthens Global Compliance Crypto exchange Binance announced […]

BlackRock’s BUIDL expands to Solana as tokenized money market fund nears $2B

FATF Urges India to Strengthen Virtual Asset Regulation

FATF Urges India to Strengthen Virtual Asset RegulationIndia has achieved a high level of technical compliance with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards, addressing illicit finance, money laundering, and terrorist financing. In a joint assessment with regional bodies, the FATF praised India’s progress but pointed out areas needing improvement, especially in regulating the non-financial sector and virtual asset providers. The country was […]

BlackRock’s BUIDL expands to Solana as tokenized money market fund nears $2B

Chinese gov’t mulls anti-money laundering law to ‘monitor’ new fintech

According to the Chinese government, 1,391 individuals have been prosecuted on money laundering-related charges in the first half of 2024.

Chinese lawmakers are considering revising an earlier anti-money laundering law to enhance capabilities to 'monitor' and analyze money laundering risks through emerging financial technologies—including cryptocurrencies.

According to a translated statement from the South China Morning Post, Legislative Affairs Commission spokesperson Wang Xiang announced the revisions on Sept. 9—citing the need to improve detection methods amid the "rapid development of new technologies."

The newly proposed legal provisions also call on the central bank and financial regulators to collaborate on guidelines to manage the risks posed by perceived money laundering threats from nascent technologies.

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BlackRock’s BUIDL expands to Solana as tokenized money market fund nears $2B