Europe may have taken the lead in attempting to regulate cryptoasset firms before any other major jurisdiction, but a year after the ground-breaking rules came into force, it does not necessarily follow that they are robust or that the industry they are meant to hold accountable is embracing them.
Financial Services
Posted inRisk Management
The dos and don’ts of responding to a World Bank integrity audit
The World Bank Group has updated its “Integrity Compliance Guidelines” for the first time in 15 years, and at a time when sanctions cases are on the rise. These developments combined should prompt companies to reassess their anti-corruption compliance practices.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
BoA settles class-action related to its dealings with Jeffrey Epstein
Bank of America has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging know-your-customer and other failings in its dealings with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Posted inTechnology
The next era of compliance: How banks will stay ahead of financial crime in 2026
Financial crime is becoming faster, smarter, and more difficult to trace. By 2026, banks and regulators will approach compliance with a new mindset. The shift is away from reaction and toward prevention, partnership, and people.
Posted inRisk Management
SEC’s Uyeda: ‘Enforcement is the wrong way’ to handle off-channel communications
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Mark Uyeda told an audience of investment advisers that the SEC will no longer prioritize stand-alone enforcement actions for violations of the SEC’s rules on off-channel communications.
Posted inFinancial Services
SEC enforcement priorities revert back to basics
Recent pronouncements made by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission leadership, alongside the recent overhaul of the SEC Enforcement Manual, collectively signal a back-to-basics enforcement approach that appears beneficial for companies in their dealings with the agency.
Posted inFinancial Services
FCA drive to reduce its investigation costs likely to add to compliance burden for smaller firms, warn experts
The U.K. financial regulator’s move towards “impactful deterrence” could see smaller and mid-size firms come increasingly under the spotlight as the watchdog aims to tackle market-wide concerns instead of primarily focusing on large players capable of doing the most harm.
Posted inRegulatory Enforcement
Broker-dealer Canaccord pays $80M to FinCEN, admits to willful BSA violations
Financial services company Canaccord has been hit with an $80 million penalty by the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FInCEN)–the largest FinCEN penalty against a broker-dealer in its history.
Posted inRisk Management
Compliance main complaint raised by whistleblowers to U.K. financial regulator
More complaints about compliance are reported to the U.K.’s financial services watchdog than any other kind of potential misconduct, and even if few of them result in investigation or censure, experts believe such reports help inform future supervision and enforcement.
Posted inRisk Management
If financial services firms don’t want more AI rules, comply with existing regs, experts warn
The U.K.’s financial regulators have long maintained that AI use by banks, insurers, and other financial services firms is already regulated under existing rules, but such assurances are increasingly being questioned.