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Cyprus Braces to Intensify Cryptocurrency Regulations in Harmony with FATF Guidelines
Cyprus plans to tighten cryptocurrency regulations, aligning with FATF standards. Crypto service providers must register with penalties for non-compliance.
Navigating the evolving seascape of cryptocurrency regulation, Cyprus, recognized for its comparatively crypto-friendly stance within European jurisdictions, is poised to constrict its regulatory framework. As per a report by the Cyprus Mail on October 10, the nation’s Ministry of Finance is proactively seeking to recalibrate the existing Prevention and Suppression of Money Laundering Law.
JUST IN: Cyprus to tighten crypto regulations in accordance with FATF#crypto #cryptocurrency #news #bitcoin #nft #altcoins
— CEAN – Crypto & Business News (@cryptoceannews) October 10, 2023
The FATF Guidelines
This regulatory recalibration has been introduced to the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs and is ostensibly aimed at orchestrating Cyprus’s regulatory practices to echo the international anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) standards, delineated by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Additionally, it aligns with the recommendations propounded in the MONEYVAL report, unveiled in November 2022.
Under the prospective amendments, all crypto asset service providers are mandated to register with the financial regulatory body, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). A stern suite of penalties for non-adherence has been outlined, encapsulating fines that may ascend to €350,000, imprisonment durations reaching five years, or a juxtaposition of both punitive measures.
About the Crypto Regulations
Despite the seemingly streamlined regulatory augmentation, the amendments have courted reservations from entities like the Cyprus Bar Association. Specific concerns pertain to the requirement for crypto service providers, already licensed in other European nations, to undergo additional registration with CySEC – a stipulation incorporated into the amendments by CySEC itself.
While requests for more comprehensive details from the Ministry of Finance by media entities like Cointelegraph remain pending, the Cyprus cryptocurrency sphere continues its operations. Instances such as crypto-friendly brokerage firm eToro attaining a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) registration from the CySEC in September remain notable, juxtaposed against Binance’s decision to deregister from the Cyprus market in July, amid escalating regulatory pressure globally.
Concluding Thoughts
Cyprus’s tentative steps towards more robust cryptocurrency regulation herald a broader, global shift towards ensuring that the burgeoning digital asset space is characterized by financial security and operational transparency.
While aligning with international standards and recommendations such as those by the FATF can foster a safer environment for investors and operators alike, the implementation and specificities of such regulations warrant meticulous scrutiny to ensure they are not stymieing innovation or imposing undue burdens on crypto enterprises.
Balancing the scales between regulatory compliance and fostering a conducive environment for the cryptocurrency sector, which is inherently global and decentralized, will be paramount. Cyprus’s navigation through this regulatory recalibration will be closely watched by other jurisdictions as a potential template for reconciling international AML/CFT standards with national interests and industry sustainability.
