🚨🚨Just in India Takes Action Against Offshore Crypto Exchanges Under Money Laundering Act Binance and others
In a significant move, the Indian government has issued compliance show cause notices to nine offshore cryptocurrency exchanges. These notices, served under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), have been initiated by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) of India's Finance Ministry. The targeted exchanges include major players like Binance, KuCoin, Huobi, Kraken, Gate.io, Bittrex, Bitstamp, MEXC Global, and Bitfinex.
The government's stance is clear: it intends to block the URLs of these entities, accusing them of operating illegally in India without adhering to the PMLA requirements. This action is part of India's broader efforts to integrate the burgeoning cryptocurrency sector with its traditional finance system.
Since March, the Indian government has mandated that all crypto businesses must register with the FIU. This requirement is a part of the country's stringent anti-money laundering measures, which also include compliance with Know Your Customer (KYC) processes. Notably, this obligation is based on the nature of the business activities rather than the physical presence of these entities in India.
Despite these regulations, several offshore crypto exchanges, which cater to a substantial Indian user base, have not registered. They are also accused of failing to comply with the Anti Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Financing of Terrorism (CFT) framework, leading to this current government action.
The specific details regarding the timeframe for compliance and the consequences of non-compliance remain uncertain. This situation is unprecedented in India, as there are no crypto-specific precedents for such action. However, to date, 31 entities have successfully registered with the FIU. The issuance of these notices signals a push for more rigorous enforcement and regulation in the cryptocurrency space, especially concerning foreign entities operating in the Indian market.
