A citizen in the Marshall Islands receives universal basic income directly to a mobile wallet via USDM1, a sovereign digital bond backed by U.S. Treasury bills. The pilot shows that digital public finance’s success hinges less on technology than on compliance.
Banking
Posted inSanctions
OFSI fines Citibank over Russian sanctions violations
Citibank has been handed a £4.7 million fine after its London branch violated the U.K.’s Russian sanctions regime by processing nearly £20 million in illegal payments to designated individuals and organizations.
Posted inBest Practices
Before the first crypto transaction, finance needs a seat at the compliance table
When an established company considers holding crypto, the compliance questions usually come first. Is the activity permissible? Is the exchange or custodian acceptable? Have the wallets been screened? Are AML and sanctions controls adequate? Those questions can all have satisfactory answers while the transaction still produces an outcome the institution did not intend. The reason […]
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
SEC accuses former Wall St. bankers, including BOA employee, of insider trading scheme
The SEC has charged two former Wall Street investment bankers with insider trading tied to the 2022 acquisition of energy company South Jersey Industries.
Posted inBanking
JPMorgan quietly debanked Polymarket over regulatory fears, report said
JPMorgan reportedly debanked the prediction market Polymarket last year over regulatory concerns. This incident underscores the compliance risks banks face when servicing prediction markets.
Posted inBanking
Deutsche Bank, Bank of America delayed flagging $420M in Epstein-linked transactions, Senator’s report says
Deutsche Bank and Bank of America took years to report more than $420 million in suspicious transactions connected to Jeffrey Epstein, according to a new report from Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee.
Posted inFinancial Services
UBS hit with record $125M civil penalty for ‘willful’ BSA violations
UBS Financial Services was slapped with a record $125 million joint civil penalty by four regulatory agencies for willful violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, including a failure to implement and maintain an anti-money laundering compliance program and failure to file suspicious activity reports.
Posted inBanking
ECB wants top bank CEOs to set out plans for AI-related cyber risks
The European Central Bank has written to the CEOs of Europe’s top banks to ask what plans they have in place to deal with potential AI-related cybersecurity threats.
Posted inArtificial Intelligence
Asia-Pacific central banks weigh AI governance to safeguard financial stability
Central banks in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries are taking steps to develop artificial intelligence governance frameworks for financial institutions, as regulators are seeking to balance innovation with emerging risks and safeguard financial stability.
Posted inOpinion
Chris Clarke, CCO at Bloomsbury Money, explains why asset tokenization and risk-based compliance are key FS trends
An early role in AML and due diligence in a client-facing role gave Chris Clarke his first taste of compliance. His background in Jersey, an international financial center that services global markets, made financial services an obvious choice.
