Bitcoin Processors Reconsider Marijuana Stance After New FinCEN Ruling
The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) released new guidance on 14th February for financial institutions seeking to provide services to marijuana-related businesses, ending a long silence that has caused confusion among those in both industries. FinCEN indicated that financial services companies can now work with marijuana-related businesses in states where the drug has been legalized for medical or recreational purposes. This is provided it is "in a manner consistent with their obligations to know their customers and report possible criminal activity". Said the agency:....
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Will Bitcoin processors move first on this opportunity? Up to now, the largest Bitcoin payment processors have turned down businesses that sell legal marijuana in Colorado and Washington, but that may change with news today that the U. S. government has clarified anti-money laundering rules regarding these legally-peculiar businesses. The government has made it clear that banks may provide services to appropriately licensed marijuana dispensaries. Today FinCEN has issued a memorandum to prosecutors regarding the legal status of marijuana dispensaries and their payment processing. Marijuana....
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has released new guidance for custodial bitcoin exchanges and payment processors, ruling that such companies may be considered money services businesses under US law. In a response to twin letters submitted in late 2013, the chief US money laundering and terrorist financing regulator explained that bitcoin exchanges may be money transmitters, even if they only match buyers and sellers on their platform. Further, the letters suggest this is true, even if the exchanges behave more like traditional securities or commodities exchanges, where no....
Faisal Khan is a payments consultant and digital money evangelist. He is the co-host of Around the Coin, a weekly podcast on banking, money and payments. He is also a frequent contributor to popular Q&A site Quora. On October 27, 2014, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) released new guidance for custodial bitcoin exchanges and payment processors, ruling that such companies may be considered money services businesses under US law. The few days since then have been very hectic. Besides fielding calls from lots of people, everyone is asking the same question. What can a bitcoin....
As financial service firms expand their use of the bitcoin block chain for trading and business activity, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) isn't missing a beat. FinCEN, an enforcement arm of the U. S. Department of Treasury, has ruled that companies using the bitcoin block chain to transfer precious metals are considered money transmitters and therefore subject to anti-money laundering restrictions. The ruling came in response to a letter from an unnamed company seeking clarification on this point. FinCEN posted the ruling on its website to serve as guidance to financial....
FinCEN has released two new Virtual Currency Guidance notes today. FIN-2014-R011 and FIN-2014-R2012 both detail FinCEN's response to requests "for Administrative Ruling on the Application of FinCEN's Regulations to Virtual Currency" Trading Platforms and Payment Systems. FinCEN has clarified that both would require a money transmitter license under their federal rules. FinCEN's clarifications, presented by Jamal El-Hindi, the Associate Director of FinCEN's Policy Division, may be the precursor to a new wave of Bitcoin company crackdowns. Recently, the SEC revealed that there were ongoing....