If the legislation is approved, all crypto participants will be obligated to report any transactions exceeding USD 10,000. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Roger Marshall, known advocates for tighter regulations in the industry, have brought back their crypto anti-money laundering bill, now with the support of Senators Joe Manchin and Lindsey Graham as cosponsors.
This reintroduction follows the initial introduction of the bill in December 2022, which aimed to subject US cryptocurrency businesses to the same know-your-customer rules as banks to prevent money laundering.
However, the Chamber of Digital Commerce opposes the bill, arguing that it may impede digital asset innovation in the United States by burdening industry participants with compliance requirements.
The Chamber pointed out that digital asset validators and miners typically do not engage in activities that categorise them as financial institutions under the definition provided by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). As such, they contend that FinCEN's regulations are primarily designed for entities involved in traditional financial activities such as accepting deposits or providing loans, rather than technical operations on blockchain networks.
According to Yahoo Finance, compelling companies to register as financial institutions could result in a significant compliance cost burden on the digital asset industry, potentially forcing firms to relocate from the US, and leading to a potential loss of skilled developers and technical experts from the country.
In contrast to the US, other countries in Asia have taken steps to address money laundering concerns related to cryptocurrencies. Japan has already introduced anti-money laundering rules for cryptocurrency transactions, while South Korea implemented FATF's travel rule last year. Furthermore, in March 2023, India took a significant stride in regulating the cryptocurrency industry by expanding the Prevention of Money Laundering Act to include digital assets.
According to analyticsinsight.net, cryptocurrency regulation in the US presents a multifaceted and continuously evolving landscape. In recent times, both regulators and the public have displayed an escalating interest in cryptocurrencies, leading to the implementation of several fresh regulations and ongoing discussions on proposed measures.
A pivotal aspect of cryptocurrency regulation in the US revolves around the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) ruling, affirming that Bitcoin and Ethereum are classified as commodities. Consequently, cryptocurrency exchanges dealing with these assets now fall under the purview of CFTC regulation. The CFTC has also released a series of guidance letters concerning cryptocurrencies, offering insights into the agency's intended regulatory approach towards this asset class.
Another crucial facet of cryptocurrency regulation in the US is the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) decision that deems initial coin offerings (ICOs) as securities. As a result of this ruling, ICOs are now subject to the same regulatory framework as traditional securities offerings. This entails compliance with anti-fraud laws and necessitates registration with the SEC.
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