Former FinCEN Director Freis to Address the Virtual Currencies Community
On Wednesday, August 14th, at the New York City Bar Association, former Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”) Director James H. Freis, Jr. will address the first Virtual Currencies Compliance Conference (“VC3”), proudly hosted by the National Money Transmitters Association (http://www.nmta.us)!
Few can speak as authentically as Mr. Freis on the federal approach to regulation of new money transfer technologies. It was during his tenure that FinCEN first issued rules on how the BSA would treat prepaid access (or stored value) products, including mobile and internet money transfer.
Recent guidance from FinCEN further clarified that virtual currency Exchangers and Administrators were also to be considered money services businesses ("MSBs") under the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”). A short time later, Cease and Desist Orders were sent to many Bitcoin operators by the State of California, due to their lack of state licenses.
Some virtual currency entrepreneurs, well aware of their anti-money laundering (“AML”) and state licensing obligations, integrated regulatory compliance into their business plans from the start. Some, however, may not have planned on the expense of compliance. They will now have to implement AML programs, get state-licensed and register with FinCEN, or risk facing criminal charges.
Industry members who come to VC3 will be enlightened by Mr. Freis and seven other compliance experts in interactive sessions, and by a panel of their industry peers at the end of the conference day.
There will be ample time to meet and chat with the experts and each other during a continental breakfast, buffet lunch and two coffee breaks. The day will finish with a networking cocktail mixer from 5:15 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.!
From 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., VC3 attendees who want to help shape and protect the future of their industry are welcome to attend a discussion of lobbying and self-regulatory strategies.
This meeting will be chaired by Ms. Constance Choi, General Counsel of Payward, Inc., one of the more than seventeen companies that have formed the Digital Asset Transfer Authority (DATA), a new self-regulatory effort that is making rapid progress and has garnered broad support from a large number of important industry players.
Do not miss this intensive learning and networking experience, register now at http://www.nmta.us/
Early Bird pricing has been extended to August 11, 2013. Please call David at (917) 921-9529 to see if you qualify for affinity discounts.
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