Sarah Hody

Subscribe to Sarah Hody's Posts
Contact:Read more about Sarah Hody

In a recently published letter to the Senate Finance Committee, FinCEN confirmed that when an ICO token is a “convertible virtual currency,” administrators or exchangers of the token would be “money transmitters” under existing FinCEN regulations and interpretations.

Under the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), a money transmitter must register with FinCEN as a money services business (MSB) and implement a risk-based anti-money-laundering (AML) compliance program. Pursuant to the BSA and its implementing regulations, an appropriate AML compliance program will include certain mechanisms for meeting the MSB’s transaction monitoring, reporting, and recordkeeping obligations—obligations that, in effect, require the MSB to know your customer. FinCEN’s letter to the Senate Finance Committee indicates that the agency is closely monitoring ICO tokens, as well as the developers and trading platforms that are issuing and exchanging ICO tokens, for BSA violations and trends or risks of associated money laundering, terrorist financing, and other financial crimes.
Continue Reading FinCEN Is Watching ICOs for BSA Violations

Below is a summary of some of the significant legal and regulatory actions that occurred over the past week. This alert is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all such developments, but rather a selection of publicly-reported news that may be of particular interest.

U.S. Developments

SEC Obtains Judgment Against Bitcoin Mining Companies The SEC obtained final judgment this week against GAW Miners, LLC and ZenMiner, LLC. – two virtual currency mining companies who, along with their principal, Homero “Josh” Garza – have been the subject of ongoing investigation and litigation since the SEC filed a complaint against them in December 2015. The two mining companies were accused
Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review – June 9, 2017

Below is a summary of some of the significant legal and regulatory actions that occurred over the past week. This alert is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all such developments, but rather a selection of publicly-reported news that may be of particular interest.

U.S. Developments

California and New York Take Divergent Approaches to Regulating Fintech

After the OCC began developing bank charters for fintech firms, California’s financial regulator sent a letter to 13 fintech companies seeking a “frank, constructive dialogue” on ways to improve on “the lack of consistency and certainty in the current state regulatory regime.” For more information, please visit our sister blog The Fintech Report.
Continue Reading Blockchain Week in Review – February 17, 2017