May 9, 2019 @ 10:01 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has issued an updated advisory to warn financial institutions of continued widespread public corruption in Venezuela. This is part of an ongoing effort to isolate the Maduro regime who recently lost a popular election but has refused to leave… Read More

May 9, 2019 @ 9:40 pm By JD Alois  |  

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) today issued guidance entitled, Application of FinCEN’s Regulations to Certain Business Models Involving Convertible Virtual Currencies (CVC). FinCEN is the enforcement branch of the US Department of Treasury. The guidance issued today does not establish any new regulatory expectations…. Read More

April 20, 2019 @ 10:08 am By Cali Haan  |  

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), part of the US Department of Treasury, has fined the operator of a peer-to-peer cryptocurrency trading service $35,350 USD and barred him from money-transmitting, “for willfully violating the Bank Secrecy Act’s (BSA) registration, program, and reporting requirements.” In a release… Read More

April 12, 2019 @ 7:26 am By Cali Haan  |  

Jacob Burrell Campos, 22, from Rosarito, Mexico, has been sentenced to two years in prison and will forfeit $823,357 “in illicit profits” after being convicted of running an unlicensed money transmission business, that, “…(sold) hundreds of thousands of dollars in Bitcoin to over 1,000 customers throughout… Read More

February 2, 2019 @ 7:12 am By Cali Haan  |  

The State of Florida has been granted the right to appeal Judge Theresa May Pooler’s dismissal of a case of alleged unlicensed money transmission brought against a LocalBitcoins trader called Michell Espinosa. In 2013, Espinosa became the focus of a sting operation for “operating an… Read More

December 5, 2018 @ 7:00 pm By Cali Haan  |  

US Department of the Treasury Under Secretary, Sigal Mandelker, told attendees of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Conference this week that she expects to cooperate with financial institutions to enhance their illicit finance countermeasures: “We encourage the private sector…to stay proactive and to innovate with new… Read More

December 4, 2018 @ 9:22 am By JD Alois  |  

Multiple federal agencies have come together to encourage banks to innovate when it comes to compliance. The statement is part of a governmental working group that has been created to collaborate between some of the financial regulatory entities. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency… Read More

October 12, 2018 @ 7:08 pm By Cali Haan  |  

The American Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has issued an advisory warning that Iranian state actors may escalate their attempts to move money in and out of the country through “illicit” channels (including cryptocurrencies) once the US completes its withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action… Read More

September 12, 2018 @ 4:37 pm By JD Alois  |  

The House of Representatives has approved the “FinCEN Improvement Act of 2018,” sponsored by Rep. Ed Perlmutter (HR 6411). The bill was passed on a voice vote indicating strong bi-partisan support in the House. The legislation requires the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (or… Read More

August 10, 2018 @ 6:55 pm By JD Alois  |  

This week, at an event in Chicago that focused on legal questions swirling around the emerging cryptocurrency industry, FinCEN Director Kenneth Blanco delivered a much anticipated speech regarding his agency’s thoughts on digital assets and virtual currencies. FinCEN is part of the US Department of… Read More

July 26, 2018 @ 12:32 pm By JD Alois  |  

There is a new bill that has been introduced into the House Financial Services Committee that is targeting “virtual currencies” and terrorism. Sponsored by Representative Ed Perlmutter, HR 6411 or the “FinCEN Improvement Act of 2018” appears to expand the reach of FinCEN which is the… Read More

June 4, 2018 @ 6:47 am By Shaswat K. Das and Richard S. Garabedian  |  

Over the past few years, continued advancements in the payments industry and financial services technology have significantly expanded the way money financial transactions are processed and managed.  Banks and payment and technology firms are accelerating efforts to innovate and adapt financial services alternatives to meet… Read More

March 11, 2018 @ 10:56 am By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of Treasury, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), recently sent a letter to US Senator Ron Wyden clarifying its stance on cryptocurrency exchanges that these entities must register as Money Services Businesses (MSBs). While the letter from FinCEN signed by Assistant Secretary for… Read More

June 3, 2016 @ 2:15 pm By JD Alois  |  

FinCEN, a bureau of the Department of the Treasury, has proposed changing the regulatory definition of a “broker or dealer in securities.”  The proposed amendment will impact crowdfunding portals as created under the JOBS Act of 2012.  According to FinCEN; “these amendments would require funding… Read More

May 4, 2016 @ 12:09 pm By JD Alois  |  

Last month the US Department of Treasury, Division of Financial Crimes and Enforcement Network (FinCEN), announced a proposed rule change that will impact Reg CF crowdfunding portals. Now the concept of a crowdfunding portal is a new approach that was legalized under the JOBS Act… Read More

October 18, 2015 @ 5:09 pm By JD Alois  |  

The US Department of Treasury, via its FinCen or Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, is ringing warning bells when it comes to rewards based crowdfunding. FinCen notes a rise in “suspicious activity reports” (SARs). In a report published this past week, FinCen spotlighted rewards based crowdfunding… Read More