Virtual Currency, Financial Services Industry, Bank Secrecy Act

Blockchain and Digital Assets News and Trends - August 2024

DLA Piper on 9/3/2024

This monthly bulletin is designed to help companies identify important legal developments governing the use and acceptance of blockchain technology, smart contracts, and digital assets....more

Pending Changes to Anti-Money Laundering Program Requirements for MSBs and Other Financial Institutions

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati on 8/20/2024

Money services businesses (MSBs), a category which includes money transmitters (e.g., PayPal and other payment facilitators), as well as administrators and exchangers of convertible virtual currencies (e.g., Bitcoin...more

PA Department of Banking and Securities: Virtual Currency is “Money”

Ballard Spahr LLP on 5/14/2024

On April 20, 2024, the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (“DoBS”) issued a policy statement (“Policy Statement”) to “clarify” that the Department’s interpretation of the term “money” in the Pennsylvania Money...more

FinCEN Proposes to Require Recordkeeping and Reporting for CVC Mixing Transactions

Ballard Spahr LLP on 11/1/2023

On October 23, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) published a notice of proposed rulemaking (“NPRM”) entitled Proposal of Special Measure Regarding Convertible Virtual Currency Mixing, as a Class of...more

FinCEN Crypto & Ransomware Guidance: Will 2022 Bring More Changes?

Torres Trade Law, PLLC on 1/26/2022

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (“Treasury”) has made clear that businesses engaging in certain activities involving virtual currencies are subject to registration,...more

Financial Services: What’s Next Under the Biden Administration?

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP on 2/9/2021

Pillsbury partner and Public Policy group leader Elizabeth Vella Moeller recently sat down with Matthew McGuire, former Executive Director of the World Bank under President Obama, to discuss the Biden administration’s...more

Wyoming, the “Equality State,” Seeks to Level the Playing Field for Digital Assets Businesses

Orrick - On the Chain on 12/4/2019

In its continued effort to establish itself as the go-to jurisdiction for digital asset businesses, Wyoming, through its Department of Audit, Division of Banking, recently published a digital asset custody regime for its...more

FinCEN Deputy Director Stresses Technological Innovation, Virtual Currency Enforcement and the U.S. Culture of Compliance

Ballard Spahr LLP on 9/20/2019

Last Wednesday, FinCEN Deputy Director Jamal El-Hindi appeared at the annual conference of the Money Transmitter Regulators Association and delivered prepared remarks. The topics of his address covered three issues of...more

US Authority Settles Charges Against Peer-to-Peer Virtual Currency Exchanger for Violating Registration and AML Requirements

A&O Shearman on 5/22/2019

The U.S. Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has announced that it has settled charges against Eric Powers, a peer-to-peer exchanger of convertible virtual currency, for violating the registration,...more

In a First, FinCEN Assesses Civil Money Penalty Against Peer-to-Peer Virtual Currency Exchanger

Morrison & Foerster LLP on 4/26/2019

On April 18, 2019, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued a press release announcing a civil money penalty for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act’s (“BSA”) anti-money laundering (“AML”) compliance program...more

FinCEN Announces Civil Monetary Penalty for Virtual Currency Exchanger

Burr & Forman on 4/23/2019

On April 18, 2019, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) announced its first enforcement action against a peer-to-peer virtual currency exchanger....more

Financial Services Quarterly Report - First Quarter 2019: A U.S. Regulatory Patchwork Quilt: Cryptocurrency and Money Transmitter...

Dechert LLP on 4/18/2019

According to its original design, Bitcoin was intended to reduce market participants’ need to rely on “financial institutions serving as trusted third parties to process electronic payments.”1 While Bitcoin and other...more

Financial Services Weekly Roundup - October 2018 #2

Goodwin on 10/18/2018

Editor's Note - In This Issue. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) granted no-action relief for fund boards; the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) announced the rescission of the “systemically important...more

AML/BSA Focus by U.S. Senate Committee Testimony – From Beneficial Ownership to Cryptocurrency

Ballard Spahr LLP on 2/8/2018

This week, the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary and the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs held hearings focused in part on Anti-Money Laundering (“AML”) and the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”)....more

FinCEN Takes First Action Against Foreign-Located MSB—“The Virtual Currency Exchange of Choice for Criminals”—For Willfully...

Ballard Spahr LLP on 7/31/2017

On July 26, FinCEN, in coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California (“NDCA USAO”), assessed a $110,003,314 civil money penalty against BTC-e a/k/a Canton Business Corporation (“BTC-e”)...more

Virtual Currency › Financial Services Industry › Bank Secrecy Act

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