FATF’s latest Targeted Update Report on Implementation of the FATF Standards on VAs and VASPs stresses that many jurisdictions continue to struggle with the fundamentals of virtual asset regulation, including undertaking risk...more
Welcome to the second instalment of 2024 of the Regulatory & Risk Advisory Review. In this edition we cover several Cayman Islands regulatory updates including updates to the Beneficial Ownership Transparency Act, the...more
Welcome to the first instalment of 2024 of our Cayman Islands Regulatory & Risk Advisory Review. As we cover in this issue, there have been a number of updates in the first quarter of the year. Perhaps most notably is the...more
Crypto Product News: BTC/ETH ETNs, Custody, Insurance, Tokenized Treasuries - The London Stock Exchange (LSE) recently published a market notice addressing applications for Bitcoin and Ether exchange traded notes (ETNs),...more
Today we are very pleased to welcome, once again, guest blogger Dr. Kateryna Boguslavska of the Basel Institute on Governance (“Basel Institute”), who will discuss the Basel Institute’s release of the 12th annual Public...more
After sanctions and anti-money laundering regulations have rapidly and significantly expanded in the wake of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Germany is further racking up its efforts in fighting financial crime more...more
The Financial Action Task Force ("FATF") is the global standard-setter on anti-money laundering ("AML"), countering terrorist financing ("CFT") and counter proliferation financing. FATF's standards, also referred to as...more
SWIFT Publishes Blockchain Pilot Findings; Firms Announce USDC Integrations - According to a recent press release, the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift) recently published a report with...more
U.S. hedge funds, private equity funds, and venture capital funds (collectively, the Private Funds)2 and their U.S. general partners, sponsors, and managers (Advisers) are not directly subject to the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970...more
Crypto Firms Expand Offerings in Stablecoins, Private Key Management - The issuer of the Pax Dollar (USDP) stablecoin recently announced that USDP is now available to all Mexican customers of a major Latin American online...more
Product Integrations and Data Indicate Increased Interest in DeFi - MetaMask, a web3 Ethereum Network cryptocurrency wallet, recently announced a new integration with a major U.S. payments and fintech firm....more
On 24 February 2023, the FATF will announce its decision regarding the likely grey listing of South Africa – if this transpires, the consequences for the already embattled South African economy could be severe. South...more
On March 9, 2022, President Joseph Biden issued Executive Order 14067, which charged the Department of Justice (in consultation with the Departments of State, Treasury, and Homeland Security) to submit a report on how to...more
Traditional Financial Firms Expand Reach into Cryptocurrency Sphere - Early this week, a major investment bank announced that it plans to launch a digital asset custody platform later this year. This announcement follows...more
As cryptocurrency, decentralized finance (DeFi), and other uses of blockchain technology continue to proliferate, global regulators are grappling with how best to regulate their use. We have previously written about the...more
Regulatory Guidance Aims to Apply Banking Regulations to Stablecoin Issuers - On November 1, 2021, an interagency group consisting of the President’s Working Group on Financial Markets (PWG), the FDIC, and the Office of the...more
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) released detailed sanctions compliance guidance for the virtual currency industry (the Guidance). The Guidance provides an overview of OFAC sanctions requirements and lists several best...more
The European Commission, on July 20, 2021, unveiled a landmark legislative proposal that would overhaul the European Union’s approach to anti-money laundering and combatting the financing of terrorism (“AML/CFT”), creating a...more
Second Post in a Series on the FATF Plenary Outcomes - As we blogged, last month the Financial Action Task Force (“FATF”) held its fourth Plenary, inviting delegates from around the world to (virtually) meet and discuss a...more
The Regulation Process for FinCEN’s New Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirement Launches - The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) on Thursday to solicit...more
U.S. Developments - Tesla buys $1.5 billion in Bitcoin - In a 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on Monday, Tesla announced that it had bought $1.5 billion worth of bitcoin. Tesla said the...more
On October 8, 2020, the Attorney General’s Cyber-Digital Task Force (“the Task Force”) issued its Cryptocurrency Enforcement Framework (the “Report”), which offers background on virtual assets, enforcement milestones, and...more
Key developments of interest over the last month include: United Kingdom: The Payment Systems Regulator has published its interim report on its market review into the supply of card-acquiring services. ...more
“Front” Seafood Businesses Allegedly Hid the Proceeds From Smuggled Shark Fins and Marijuana Distribution - Last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia unsealed an indictment returned in July,...more
US Developments - OCC Issues Interpretation that Banks Can Offer Crypto Custody Services - On July 22, 2020, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) issued an interpretive letter clarifying that national banks...more