On August 6th, 2025, following a four-week trial, a jury found Roman Storm, the founder of a crypto mixing service called Tornado Cash, guilty of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. The jury was deadlocked and unable to
Money Laundering Watch, published by Ballard Spahr LLP, focuses on legal developments and enforcement trends related to money laundering, financial crimes, and regulatory compliance. The blog covers topics such as ransomware incidents and their legal implications, prosecution of cryptocurrency-related money laundering, regulatory actions by agencies like FinCEN and OFAC, sanctions enforcement, and the intersection of emerging technologies with anti-money laundering laws. It addresses issues involving illicit finance, cryptocurrency privacy tools, financial institution compliance, and government efforts to combat organized crime and terrorist financing through financial regulatory measures.
On August 6th, 2025, following a four-week trial, a jury found Roman Storm, the founder of a crypto mixing service called Tornado Cash, guilty of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. The jury was deadlocked and unable to…
On August 4, 2025, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) issued Notice FIN-2025-NTC1 (the “Notice”) to address mounting concerns over regulatory risks related to convertible virtual currency (“CVC”) kiosks, also known as cryptocurrency ATMs. This action is part of a…
On July 23, 2025, Senators John Fetterman (D-PA), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Andy Kim (D-NJ), and David McCormick (R-PA), introduced the federal Art Market Integrity Act (the “Act”). The Act is bipartisan legislation that would…
We blogged last year about the Final Rule issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) extending Anti-Money Laundering/Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) requirements to certain investment advisers. The Final Rule, which was set…
In a significant move to curb illegal activities at the U.S. Southwest border, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an alert, on May 1, 2025, concerning oil smuggling from Mexico into the United States, orchestrated by notorious cartels…
On May 1, 2025, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) regarding the Huione Group, a foreign financial institution located in Cambodia. This proposal, enacted under section 311 of the USA PATRIOT Act, suggests…
In March, we wrote about the Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issuing a Geographic Targeting Order (GTO) aimed to combat Mexican-based drug cartels. The GTO signals Treasury’s efforts to combat cartel activity by requiring heightened anti-money laundering…
In a significant policy shift, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memorandum titled “Ending Regulation By Prosecution,” on April 7, 2025, signaling a change in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) approach to digital assets. The memorandum, outlines a move…
On March 13, 2025, the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, which aims to establish a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, passed the United States Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs with a bipartisan 18-6…
On March 7, 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) released Interpretive Letter 1183, marking a pivotal change in regulatory guidance for national banks and federal savings associations engaging in cryptocurrency activities. This recent directive, issued…