Marcos Gonzalez

Are you ready for: ❓ The UK making trust disclosures public? ❓ The US removing “reputational risk” from compliance rules? ❓ The EU launching a central AML regulator with real teeth? ❓ Australia finally pulling lawyers, real estate agents, and crypto under its AML regime? 2025 isn’t just another year of updates, it’s a coordinated global reset. What’s changing, why it matters, and how should firms respond? We’ve broken it down across four major jurisdictions. Stay informed, stay compliant, stay competitive. https://bit.ly/3H1VnEl #RegTech #Compliance #KYC #BeneficialOwnership #FinancialCrime #Transparency

42

1 Comment

🔍 HM Treasury's OFSI has published a Cryptoassets Threat Assessment guide. The UK’s Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) released a critical report highlighting threats to financial sanctions compliance in the cryptoasset sector. Here are the key points: 1️⃣ **Sanctions Evasion Risks**: Since 2022, designated persons (DPs), particularly Russian and DPRK-linked actors, have increasingly used cryptoassets to bypass UK sanctions, exploiting blockchain’s pseudonymous nature. 2️⃣ **Russian Exposure**: UK crypto firms face significant risks from direct/indirect exposure to the Russian exchange Garantex (designated in 2023) and its successor, Grinex, which facilitates illicit transactions, including via Ruble-backed stablecoin A7AS5. 3️⃣ **DPRK Cyber Threats**: North Korean hackers, including groups like Lazarus, pose a severe threat, with high-profile thefts (e.g., $1.5B from Bybit in 2025) and sophisticated money laundering via mixers, DEXs, and no-KYC platforms. 4️⃣ **Iranian Activity**: Iranian crypto firms, like Nobitex, with suspected links to designated entities (e.g., IRGC), are facilitating sanctions evasion, often using AI-generated IDs to bypass KYC checks. 5️⃣ **Compliance Red Flags**: Indicators like large transactions post-sanctions, use of privacy coins, mixers, DEXs, or transactions from sanctioned jurisdictions signal potential evasion, requiring enhanced due diligence. 6️⃣ **Regulatory Oversight**: Crypto firms must register with the FCA, comply with the Travel Rule, and report suspected breaches to OFSI and SARs to the NCA, referencing “OFSI Cryptoassets Threat Assessment - 0725.” 7️⃣ **Call to Action**: UK cryptoasset firms are urged to strengthen compliance through robust due diligence, monitor for red flags, and review OFSI’s guidance and resources to mitigate risks. 💡 **Why It Matters**: With 7% of OFSI’s suspected breach reports since 2022 involving crypto firms, this report underscores the need for vigilance to protect the integrity of UK financial sanctions. 📌 Read the full report for actionable insights: #CryptoCompliance #FinancialSanctions #OFSI #BlockchainSecurity

37

2 Comments

🔎 Big developments - Jersey’s investigation into Roman Abramovich for suspected money laundering, corruption and sanctions breaches is a reminder of how offshore financial centres are stepping up enforcement. His legal team are pushing back saying the issues are historic and no predicate crime was involved in generating his huge wealth.... Key takeaways for compliance & risk professionals: Cross-border cooperation is critical: Swiss banks and Cypriot registries released records to support Jersey’s probe. Offshore structures under pressure: trusts and layered entities across BVI, Cyprus, and Jersey were central to the case. Sanctions risk = reputational risk: even without charges, scrutiny can damage credibility and restrict access to global finance. This case shows how sanctions enforcement is becoming international, coordinated, and increasingly willing to pierce corporate secrecy. 💡 For compliance teams: it’s a clear signal to strengthen due diligence on complex structures, beneficial ownership, and historic wealth sources. https://lnkd.in/gNeeh7ij International Compliance Association, The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project, Rob Phillipson

54

2 Comments

How clearly defined is your firm’s financial crime risk appetite? If it’s vague, outdated, or sitting in a drawer, it’s probably not doing the job it should. We’ve just released a 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲 to help you define, document, and embed your financial crime risk appetite with confidence: 📘 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝘀: 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗲 👉 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://lnkd.in/e9ysP5_B It covers: ✅ What a good risk appetite looks like ✅ how to set, document and embed your risk appetite across your business ✅ How to align your risk appetite with your risk assessment and control framework ✅ Tips to keep it proportionate, actionable, and regulator-ready We’ve also unpacked some of the most common misconceptions that hold firms back — swipe below to read them 👇

24

In a new step to tackle financial crime, we’ve committed to 9 priorities with the National Crime Agency (NCA) for the UK’s regulated sector. This will help firms focus on the most serious threats, including: • Cash-based money laundering. • The exploitation of money mules. • Fraud linked to high-risk jurisdictions. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ey2dm--j #FinancialCrime #FinancialServices #FinancialRegulation

543

5 Comments

As crypto regulation tightens across Europe, many financial institutions are still focused on just getting licensed. But MiCA’s real impact lives in its intersections: 🔹 With DORA, it reshapes crypto custody into a cyber-resilience challenge 🔹 With TFR & KYT, it transforms AML into real-time blockchain surveillance 🔹 With MiFID, it exposes token misclassification risks that can kill product launches 🔹 With emerging CASPs, it opens the door to Compliance-as-a-Service business models Leaders will operationalize this complexity and export it as competitive edge. Capco supports global banks and FIs turn regulatory pressure into operational readiness, fast, structured and future-proof. Access the full article by Cedric Loyens with link in top comment below 👇

37

1 Comment

What is the new FinCEN Anti-Money Laundering rule? FinCEN will require reporting for residential transfers of real property to a legal entity or trust that are non-financed. Originally set for later this year, FinCEN announced earlier this week that it will postpone reporting requirements of the Anti-Money Laundering Regulations for Residential Real Estate Transfers Rule (RRE Rule) until March 1,2026. "Residential real property” extends beyond traditional, single-family homes, and ‘non financed’ includes more than just all-cash transactions. Under the FinCEN AML rule, it includes: • One-to-four family residences • Vacant land intended for future one-to-four family development • Units in buildings designed for one-to-four family occupancy (e.g., condominiums or apartments) • Shares in a cooperative housing corporation (co-ops) FinCEN required reports must be entered, uploaded and submitted to FinCEN by the later of either the final day of the month following the month in which the date of closing occurred, or 30 calendar days after the date of closing. Visit stewart.com/fincen-aml to explore our Fin and Cen short-form video explainer series. What other FinCEN AML questions do you have? Let us know in the comments! #FinCEN #RealEstate #RealEstateNews #TitleInsurance

54

AML (Anti-Money Laundering) remains one of the biggest compliance challenges for law firms, and with the SRA moving to a more interventionist audit approach, being audit-ready is essential. At Miller’s 2025 Legal Risk & Compliance Conference, Colette Best (former Director of AML at the SRA and now a consultant at Kingsley Napley) shared practical steps firms can take to strengthen frameworks and avoid common pitfalls. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e5jNszVM #LegalRisk #LawFirms #AntiMoneyLaundering #Audit

28

🇬🇧🇺🇸 Momentum is building for deeper UK–US regulatory co-operation on crypto and digital assets. Speaking to the Financial Times as she announced her departure from the New York Department of Financial Services (NYSDFS), Adrienne Harris highlighted the potential of a crypto passporting framework as a “really interesting” opportunity to address the borderless nature of digital markets. With a new US–UK “markets of the future” task force set to consult with industry and deliver recommendations within 180 days, passporting could provide a clear route to: 🔹 Reduce duplicative compliance burdens 🔹 Enhance investor protection 🔹 Improve cross-border market interoperability CryptoUK has long called for international alignment of standards to unlock innovation while safeguarding consumers. Developments like this underline the importance of strong UK leadership in shaping globally competitive regulation. Keeping the UK at the forefront of crypto innovation requires collaboration across industry and policymakers. If your organisation wants to play a part in shaping fair and effective regulation, we invite you to join our community of more than 100 members 👉https://buff.ly/f3lwTZO

33

1 Comment