FATF President urges G-7 to enact stringent regulations, adopting FATF’s guidelines to curb illicit activities in the crypto sector.
Ahead of an anticipated G-7 meeting in Hiroshima, Japan, Financial Action Task Force (FATF) president T. Raja Kumar has challenged the group’s leaders to actively regulate the uncontrolled crypto space. Kumar’s call to action urges the G-7 advanced economies to prioritize implementation of FATF’s anti-money laundering guidelines in the crypto sector.
“G7 countries should lead by example and regulate the crypto sector so that no safe havens exist for illicit crypto transactions”#FATF President T. Raja Kumar´s message to #G7 leaders ahead of the summit in Japan
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📑: https://t.co/GqHhVwoqY9 pic.twitter.com/uDurg1QSDu— FATF (@FATFNews) May 18, 2023
Cryptocurrency and The Law: An Urgent Call for Regulation
This plea came through a hard-hitting statement titled “An end to the lawless crypto space,” released on Thursday. Kumar’s call for action coincides with last week’s discussions on crypto regulation by G-7 finance ministers and central bank governors. The summit expects to see the group backing stringent global crypto regulations.
FATF’s controversial “travel rule” is one of the primary measures being promoted. This rule mandates that cryptocurrency service providers should record and disclose information on transactions exceeding a specific value. The rule’s purpose is to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing through digital assets.
#Jasmy#G7 Finance Ministers Discuss Crypto Regulation Ahead of #Japan Summit Next Week .#G7 also supports the
(#FATF) efforts to accelerate the global implementation of its travel rule,mandates the sharing of information on fund transfers between financial institutions . pic.twitter.com/S7l6GLP6xC— Houston (@Houston08068672) May 15, 2023
FATF’s Concern Over Global Standards Compliance
Despite this, Kumar notes that implementation of FATF’s crypto asset requirements around the globe has been relatively lackluster. Alarmingly, 73% of nations are either non-compliant or only partially adhering to these standards.
As the crypto industry continues to expand, its unregulated sectors are becoming potential hotspots for illegal activities. Even though estimates put illicit crypto transactions between 0.1% and 15.4%, FATF maintains that these numbers could be underestimated.
G-7: Spearheading the Fight Against Lawless Crypto
Given these concerns, Kumar is urging G-7 countries to lead the way in crypto regulation by implementing FATF’s global standards effectively. The success of this initiative rests largely on the efforts of the G-7 nations.
By spearheading these reforms, G-7 countries can work to eliminate lawless spaces in the crypto sector. These spaces provide an avenue for criminals, terrorists, and rogue states to exploit the largely unregulated world of digital assets. The firm stand by the G-7 nations against such illicit activities could set a precedent for other nations to follow.
The upshot is clear: the G-7’s collective action is critical to ensure that the crypto space doesn’t become a haven for nefarious activities. By fully adopting FATF’s global standards, G-7 can take a significant step toward that goal.
