Tag: Vasps

Estonia Shuts Down Crypto Firms

by Blockchain News

In recent news, Estonia has strengthened its Anti-Money Laundering laws and almost 400 virtual asset service providers (VASPs) have shut down as a result. The amended laws expanded the defined scope of VASPs and increased licensing fees, capital requirements, and information reporting requirements. Additionally, the laws introduced the Financial Action Task Force Travel Rule. The Estonian Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) announced that almost 200 domestic crypto service providers voluntarily shut down, and another 189 had their authorizations revoked due to non-compliance.

The FIU’s director, Matis Mäeker, noted that the response from the legislator and the supervision activities have been relevant, given the documents submitted by the service providers that lost their authorizations and their methods of operation and risks involved. The FIU also found several general issues within the companies it shut down, including misleading company information. For instance, some companies had registered board members and company contacts without their knowledge, while others had falsified professional backgrounds on their resumes. Additionally, many companies had copy-pasted identical business plans from each other, which were also found to be lacking any logic or connection with Estonia.

Estonia has made significant efforts to implement strong AML laws, primarily due to the discovery in 2018 that around $235 billion worth of illicit capital had been laundered through the Estonian branch of Denmark megabank Danske Bank. The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine has also had an impact, as Estonia has pushed to cut off revenues supporting Russia’s war machine and protect international financial systems via strong AML regulation as part of its partnership with the U.S. Estonia is a member of the European Union and will soon have to implement the upcoming Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) laws that are slated to come into effect in early 2025. Under MiCA, crypto firms will be subject to stringent AML and terrorism prevention requirements.

In conclusion, Estonia has taken significant steps to ensure the implementation of robust AML laws. The recent enhancement of AML laws has resulted in the closure of nearly 400 crypto firms in Estonia. The FIU found several issues with the companies it shut down, including misleading company information. As a member of the European Union, Estonia will soon have to implement MiCA laws, which will require crypto firms to comply with stringent AML and terrorism prevention requirements.

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Ukraine passes legislation to recognize and regulate crypto

by Cointelegraph

The Ukrainian Parliament has adopted legislation regulating foriegn and domestic cryptocurrency exchanges operating from within the country.

On Sept. 8, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted the draft law “On Virtual Assets,” legally recognizing cryptocurrency in the country for the first time. The legislation is based on the existing standards developed by the intergovernmental policy-making organization, Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering (FATF).

The Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation will be tasked with overseeing the implementation of the new virtual asset regulation and guiding the industry’s growth, in adherence with “international standards.

Anastasia Bratko of the Ministry of Digital Transformation said the law allows companies to launch virtual asset markets in Ukraine and enables banks to “open accounts for crypto companies.

“Ukrainians will also be able to declare their income in virtual assets,” she said, adding that the law “guarantees judicial protection of the rights to virtual asset owners.”

An announcement from the ministry emphasized that “the country will receive additional tax revenues to the budget, which will be paid by crypto companies,” adding:

“The adopted norms establish rules for service providers related to the circulation of virtual assets and contribute to the market’s de-shadowing.”

Virtual asset service providers (VASPs) “must have an impeccable business reputation” and will be required to disclose their ownership structure to identify their ultimate beneficial owners. Internal anti-money launder measures must also be maintained by VASPs.

Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, Oleksander Bornyakov, highlighted provisions contained in the legislation to attract “foreign exchange to the Ukrainian market,” adding:

“It will become a powerful incentive for the further development of the crypto-sphere in Ukraine. Banks will open accounts for them and conduct transactions with a new class of assets. I am sure that society, business and the state will benefit from the legalization of the new sector of the economy.”

Related: Ukrainian ministry considering digital currency pilot for staff salaries

Last month, Mikhail Fedorov, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister and the head of the country’s Ministry of Digital Transformation, revealed that his ministry was exploring using a central bank digital currency (CBDC) to make salary payments in an early pilot of the technology.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a law enabling the country’s central bank to issue a CBDC in July.