TD Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in the U.S., has agreed to pay a record $3 billion penalty, the largest ever under the Bank Secrecy Act, after pleading guilty to felony charges. The bank is the largest in U.S. history to plead guilty to Bank Secrecy Act program failures and the first to…
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New 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…
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Brian Armstrong reflected on the announcement of criminal charges against Binance, stating that Coinbase’s decision to get licenses was correct. Brian Armstrong, CEO of crypto exchange Coinbase, thinks that his company made the right decision to comply with United States money transmitter licensing laws. In a Nov. 21 social media post, Armstrong weighed in on…
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The commodities regulator handed out fines of $250,000, $200,000, and $100,000 respectively to the three firms in addition to cease and desist orders. The United States Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is taking regulatory action against three decentralized finance protocols for allegedly failing to register various derivatives trading offerings. The U.S. commodities regulator announced that…
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Coin Center research director Peter Van Valkenburgh argued that crypto mixer Tornado Cash is an anonymizing software provider, not a money transmitter. Crypto advocacy group Coin Center has criticized the latest indictment of two former Tornado Cash developers, arguing that the facts offered don’t show any clear violations of money-transmitting-related offenses. Roman Storm and Roman…
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A central bank digital currency (CBDC) may turn out to be the “single largest assault to financial privacy since the creation of the Bank Secrecy Act,” a policy analysis document released by CATO Institute has said. To stop the U.S. Federal Reserve and Treasury from threatening the financial system with the CBDC, the document said…
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The price of the crypto-focused bank Silvergate Capital’s shares fell by over 40% after it reported a more than $8 billion drop in customer deposits. The share price plunge came just days after U.S. prosecutors reportedly seized collapsed crypto exchange FTX’s accounts held at the bank. Alan Lane, the CEO of Silvergate, denied allegations that…
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The United States Department of Justice recently filed a lawsuit to recover $60 million that was imposed on Larry Harmon, the operator of a bitcoin mixing service targeted by U.S. law enforcement in 2020. According to U.S. authorities, Harmon had operated an unlicensed money-transmitting business. Violation of the Bank Secrecy Act The United States Department…
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The founders of Bitmex have been ordered to pay $30 million “for illegally operating a cryptocurrency derivatives trading platform and anti-money laundering violations.” Arthur Hayes, Benjamin Delo, and Samuel Reed must pay $10 million each. Bitmex’s Founders Fined $30 Million The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) announced Thursday that the U.S. District Court for the…
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The founders of cryptocurrency derivatives exchange Bitmex, Arthur Hayes and Benjamin Delo, have pled guilty to violations of the U.S. Bank Secrecy Act. “As a result of its willful failure to implement AML and KYC programs, Bitmex was in effect a money-laundering platform,” said the U.S. Department of Justice. Bitmex’s Founders Guilty of Bank Secrecy…
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