Jamal Al-Farouq The third plenary session of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in Paris shed light on the inadequate adoption of the institution’s virtual asset recommendations worldwide. Evaluations revealed that nearly three-quarters of jurisdictions exhibit partial compliance or non-compliance with these guidelines.
FATF Plenary Calls for Strengthening Global Regulation of Virtual Assets
The global money-laundering watchdog, FATF, convened its third plenary session in Paris, with over 200 delegates in attendance, emphasizing the need to address regulatory gaps in the compliance framework for virtual assets. Discussions primarily focused on assessing the degree to which jurisdictions have implemented the institution’s recommendations pertaining to virtual assets and virtual asset service providers (VASPs).
Reports and evaluations unveiled that a significant majority of jurisdictions demonstrated partial compliance or non-compliance with these recommendations. A publication released by the FATF plenary stated:
“Many jurisdictions have yet to fully implement essential requirements, and more than half of the survey respondents have not taken any measures to implement the travel rule, a critical FATF requirement aimed at preventing the transfer of funds to sanctioned individuals or entities.”
The travel rule, a component of the FATF recommendations, entails collecting the identities of both the sender and recipient involved in a transaction. Additionally, depending on a specified threshold, the institution suggests the inclusion of additional data. As a relatively new recommendation for VASPs, it necessitates the establishment of communication rules and cross-border data-sharing protocols within the cryptocurrency industry.
Upcoming Initiatives
The FATF plenary underscored that the lack of compliance with these proposed recommendations creates vulnerabilities that can be exploited by criminals. Consequently, closing these regulatory loopholes has been identified as an urgent priority. The institution intends to release a forthcoming report urging countries to implement its recommendations to prevent criminals from capitalizing on these gaps.
Scheduled for publication on June 27, the report will also highlight the risks associated with North Korea’s activities and its exploitation of virtual assets to finance its weapons of mass destruction program. Additionally, it will address the risks associated with decentralized finance activities and peer-to-peer transactions.
In May, FATF President Raja Kumar called upon the Group of Seven (G7) countries to serve as role models by incorporating the FATF recommendations into their respective regulations, thereby ensuring that no safe havens exist for illicit cryptocurrency transactions.
We would love to hear your thoughts on the discussions and recommendations emerging from the FATF plenary. Please share your comments below.
Table Of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about virtual asset standards
What was discussed at the Paris FATF Plenary?
The Paris FATF Plenary discussed the global implementation of virtual asset standards and identified a lack of adoption and compliance among jurisdictions. They emphasized the need to close regulatory gaps and strengthen the regulation of virtual assets.
What are the virtual asset recommendations established by FATF?
FATF has established recommendations for virtual assets and virtual asset service providers (VASPs). These recommendations include the implementation of the travel rule, which involves collecting the identities of the sender and recipient of a transaction, as well as communication rules and data-sharing protocols within the cryptocurrency industry.
How compliant are jurisdictions with the FATF recommendations?
According to evaluations, almost three-quarters of jurisdictions are either partially compliant or non-compliant with the FATF recommendations for virtual assets. Many jurisdictions have not implemented fundamental requirements, including the travel rule, which is crucial in preventing funds from being transferred to sanctioned individuals or entities.
What are the risks associated with the lack of compliance?
The lack of compliance with FATF recommendations opens loopholes for criminals to exploit. It increases the risk of illicit activities and the misuse of virtual assets for financing purposes. The FATF Plenary considers closing these regulatory gaps as an urgent priority to prevent criminals from taking advantage of the vulnerabilities.
What measures will be taken to address the compliance issues?
The FATF Plenary will publish a report urging countries to implement the recommendations and close the regulatory loopholes. The report, scheduled for release, will also highlight the risks associated with North Korea’s activities and the use of virtual assets for financing weapons of mass destruction. It will address risks related to decentralized finance activities and peer-to-peer transactions as well.
What is the call to action for G7 countries?
FATF President Raja Kumar called upon G7 countries to lead by example and implement the FATF recommendations in their respective regulations. The aim is to eliminate safe havens for illicit crypto transactions and ensure a higher level of compliance and regulation within the virtual asset industry.
More about virtual asset standards
- Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
- FATF Virtual Assets and Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs)
- FATF Recommendations
- Travel Rule Implementation and Guidelines
- FATF Plenary Meetings
- Decentralized Finance (DeFi) Explained
4 comments
whoa, did you hear about the risks associated with North Korea and their use of virtual assets for weapons funding? scary stuff, man. the fatf plenary needs to address these issues and make sure countries are on top of their game. and let’s not forget about DeFi and p2p transactions, they gotta be on the radar too!
so, according to the fatf plenary, over half the peeps out there haven’t even taken steps to implement the travel rule. like, seriously guys, it’s a no-brainer! we gotta collect identities and stop funds goin’ to bad people. let’s get with the program and close those gaps, pronto!
i think its crazy how like most of the countries arent even following the fatf recommendations for virtual assets like wth??? the criminals gonna take advantage of those gaps and its gonna be a big mess smh
omg, did u know that the fatf plenary found that jurisdictions aint even complying with the virtual asset standards?? like, seriously?! they need to step up their game and close those reg loopholes ASAP!! criminals gonna have a field day otherwise, not cool man!