#AML – Page 2 – Federal Financial Analytics

15 02, 2022

FedFin: Stablecoin Legislative Consensus in Sight, But from a Distance

Arezou Rafikian2023-04-04T15:59:02-04:00February 15th, 2022|The Vault|

Despite fierce partisan fighting over pending Fed nominations, today’s Senate Banking hearing on stablecoin regulation was considerably more bipartisan that last week’s HFSC session (see Client Report CRYPTO24). Both Chairman Brown (D-OH) and Ranking Member Toomey (R-PA) are in broad agreement on a two-tier structure in which stablecoins are issued either by banks or by nonbanks subject to strict reserve-asset, AML, and related regulation.

The full report is available to retainer clients. To find out how you can sign up for the service, click here…

6 01, 2022

Analysis of AML/CFT Regulatory Reform

Arezou Rafikian2023-04-25T15:45:12-04:00January 6th, 2022|The Vault|

As the banking industry has long hoped and Congress last year directed,1 FinCEN is beginning to develop a new policy framework prioritizing ways to make anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) regulation more risk-based. FinCEN is taking the opportunity of its request for information (RFI) also to seek views on ways to modernize AML/CFT standards, make them more efficient, ensure adherence to global protocols, and toughen rules where necessary to protect national security. Last year’s law required Treasury to enhance law enforcement and submit a report on AML/CFT….

The full report is available to retainer clients. To find out how you can sign up for the service, click here.…

8 12, 2021

FedFin: HFSC Begins Political Taxonomy of Crypto-Asset Policy

Arezou Rafikian2023-05-23T13:06:52-04:00December 8th, 2021|The Vault|

As anticipated, today’s HFSC hearing was a marathon session at which industry witnesses defended their business model, Republicans liked it fine, and Democrats worried about a wide array of policy challenges. While both sides of the aisle agreed that cryptoassets might well enhance financial inclusion, partisan battle lines formed over issues such as the extent to which stablecoins are fully reserved, covered by the securities laws, and if a single regulator for this sector is either desirable or feasible. Industry witnesses strongly rejected the PWG’s stablecoin conclusions (see Client Report CRYPTO21), suggesting for example that stablecoins are safer than bank deposits because they are fully – not fractionally – reserved.

The full report is available to retainer clients. To find out how you can sign up for the service, click here.…

1 12, 2021

FedFin on Federal Crypto Powers

Arezou Rafikian2023-05-23T14:22:26-04:00December 1st, 2021|The Vault|

Although the OCC joined other agencies issuing a non-committal “roadmap” for future cryptography actions, the agency at the same time and far more decisively stated that crypto activities are permissible only if they are also safe and sound. As a result, national banks and federal savings associations (FSAs) may no longer simply undertake approved crypto activities and now instead must receive prior OCC consent to do so. This may prove challenging to banks now using or seeking to use national charters for their own businesses, for partnerships with state-chartered entities, or via their own fintech ventures.

The full report is available to retainer clients. To find out how you can sign up for the service, click here.…

20 10, 2021

FedFin on: Global CBDC Policy

Arezou Rafikian2023-06-07T15:35:08-04:00October 20th, 2021|The Vault|

Shortly after the BIS and a group of central banks endorsed a construct for retail-facing central-bank digital currency (CBDC), the Group of Seven (G7) finance ministerial issued these public-policy principles to establish a still broader framework for future action. No G7 nation, including the U.S., has decided on CBDC, but their governments have generally developed these documents to ready themselves, enhance the odds of CBDC better suited to cross-border clearing and settlement, anticipate private stablecoins and the risks they raise, as well as counter China’s efforts to build a CBDC that enhances its global macroeconomic might.

The full report is available to retainer clients. To find out how you can sign up for the service, click here.…

19 10, 2021

FedFin on: Banking Dems, GOP Demand More, Tougher Sanctions

Arezou Rafikian2023-06-07T15:42:15-04:00October 19th, 2021|The Vault|

Today’s Senate Banking hearing with Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo showed bipartisan concern that the Administration is failing to implement sanctions required by law, especially when it comes to China, North Korea, and Russia. Senators also stated that they will not tolerate what they call continued defiance of Congressional mandates without making clear what they intend to do to enforce their will should Treasury fail to act.

The full report is available to retainer clients. To find out how you can sign up for the service, click here.…