All Things Investigations: Episode 30 - The Convergence of ABC, AML and Export Controls with Mike Huneke and Jan Dunin-Wasowicz
BSA, OFAC, KYC, and CIP – What do they mean to me? [More with McGlinchey, Ep. 29]
In June 2024, multiple state regulators took joint action against Plutus Financial, Inc (Abra) ordering Abra to cease and desist certain operations in the U.S. and reimburse customers of virtual assets valued at $81.1 million...more
The concept of the shadow financial system rose to international prominence in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. In an interview with a Pakistani newspaper a month later, Osama bin Laden stated that Al Qaeda were...more
Welcome to the April-May edition of Akin Intelligence. This edition is a double header, covering both months as we prepare for the launch of our new AI Hub—a one-stop resource for AI coverage that will launch soon. Starting...more
Last week, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York unsealed an indictment against global cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin and two of its founders, Chun Gan and Ke Tang, for allegedly conspiring...more
DeFi development carried quietly on throughout 2023, but DeFi protocols also faced significant hurdles. In the US, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) increased their...more
Despite the excitement that surrounded original cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, the dust eventually settled, revealing that only a few early investors got rich and many others lost their life savings. But it was not long...more
In a new development, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC or Commission) has charged that “voting members” of the Ooki DAO are liable for its violations of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and CFTC regulations by...more
For years, the cryptocurrency wallets of U.S. taxpayers have existed in a reporting gray zone. However, as it becomes clear that crypto asset transactions are not slowing down, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has signaled...more
On August 10, 2021, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced a near-record settlement of $100 million with BitMEX, a cryptocurrency derivatives exchange....more
On Friday March 12, Bloomberg News reported that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) has opened an inquiry into Binance Holdings Ltd. (“Binance”) to investigate allegations that the exchange allowed US citizens...more
We all have been following the rapid growth of cryptocurrency and the creation of lucrative trading platforms. Cryptocurrency has earned the scrutiny of regulators and criminal prosecutors – not for run-of-the-mill fraud...more
The CFTC recently joined the host of other federal and state regulators who enforce anti-money laundering laws, by bringing three cases finding violations of CFTC Regulation 42.2. Regulation 42.2 requires futures commission...more
DOJ’s Cyber Digital Task Force’s report, “Cryptocurrency: An Enforcement Framework,” provides a comprehensive on the growing partnerships between DOJ and other offices within the executive branch....more
Recent action by the U.S. government reminds us that engaging in the cryptocurrency markets continues to present counterparty risk in the context of with whom you are doing business. Whether a company is buying cryptocurrency...more
Financial institutions with anti-money laundering responsibilities under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) take note: there’s a new sheriff in town. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission recently finished its fiscal year with...more
Incorporating in the Seychelles but Allegedly Operating in the U.S. Spells Trouble for Company and its Founders - The Bitcoin Mercantile Exchange, or BitMEX, is a large and well-known online trading platform dealing in...more
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin remarked before a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee three weeks ago that “significant new requirements at FinCEN” for cryptocurrencies would be introduced quickly, in response to...more
U.S. Developments - Regulatory Developments - CFTC Announces Two Events Designed to Encourage FinTech Innovation - On June 27, 2019, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC”) announced two events designed to...more
Even as the value of bitcoin plunged from a high of $20,000 in late 2017 to about $4,000 in late February 2019, according to Bloomberg, interest in the technology behind it grew. Blockchain, the distributed ledger technology...more