Fraud–AML Convergence: Why Siloed Financial Crime Programs Are Breaking in 2026
Regulators, criminals, and boards are all pushing the same message — it is time to tear down the walls between fraud and AML teams. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, U.S. financial institutions filed more Suspicious Activity Reports tied to authorized-push-payment fraud, pig-butchering investment scams, and elder financial exploitation than in any comparable period […]
Correspondent Banking De-Risking in 2026: Why MSBs and FinTechs Are Being Shut Out — and Five Moves to Preserve Banking Relationships
Last quarter, three Money Services Businesses I advise received nearly identical letters: “After a comprehensive review of your account, we are unable to continue providing banking services. Your account will close in 30 days.” No explanation beyond “elevated risk profile.” No remediation path. No appeal. In 2026, de-risking remains the quiet crisis in correspondent banking […]
The GENIUS Act Meets the BSA: What the New Stablecoin AML and Sanctions Rules Mean for Compliance Teams
On April 8, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Treasury dropped what many in the compliance community have been anticipating for months: a joint proposed rule from FinCEN and OFAC that would bring permitted payment stablecoin issuers (PPSIs) squarely under the Bank Secrecy Act and U.S. sanctions framework. This landmark rulemaking, implementing provisions of the […]
From Rule Books to Reasoning Machines: How Agentic AI Is Redefining AML Transaction Monitoring in 2026
There is a crisis hiding in plain sight inside most financial institutions’ compliance operations. It has nothing to do with money launderers outsmarting the system. It is, instead, an operational dysfunction that compliance teams have quietly lived with for decades: the false-positive problem. Under traditional rules-based transaction monitoring, approximately 95 percent of alerts generated by […]
EU AMLA Is Live: Europe’s New AML Watchdog and What It Means for Your Business
On 24 March 2026, the European Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) held its first public hearing — a moment that marked more than a bureaucratic milestone. It signalled that Europe’s most ambitious AML reform in a generation is now firmly on track. For financial institutions operating across the EU and globally, the clock is ticking. AMLA’s […]
iGaming & Sweepstakes in the U.S.: The Rising AML & Financial Crime Frontier
The United States iGaming and sweepstakes industry has experienced explosive growth over the past several years, attracting millions of players to online platforms that offer casino-style entertainment through innovative dual-currency models. However, this rapid expansion has simultaneously attracted the attention of regulators, law enforcement, and financial crime professionals who recognize that these platforms present significant […]
The Biggest AML Reform in a Generation: What FinCEN’s Proposed Rule Means for Your Compliance Programme
On 7 April 2026, United States financial regulators took a step that compliance professionals have been anticipating — and debating — for years. FinCEN, together with the FDIC, OCC, and NCUA, issued a joint Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that seeks to fundamentally reform how financial institutions design, implement, and maintain their anti-money laundering and […]
KYC Compliance Services: What Every FinTech Startup Needs to Know Before You Scale
For a FinTech startup, the path from product launch to regulated operations can feel like navigating a maze with the lights off. You have a compelling product, early traction, and a growing user base — but somewhere between your payment license application and your first banking partner conversation, a question surfaces that cannot be ignored: […]
How to Register as an MSB with FinCEN: A Step-by-Step Compliance Guide
If you’re building a FinTech company, launching a crypto exchange, or operating a payment processing platform in the United States, FinCEN MSB registration is not optional, it is a foundational federal requirement. And yet, it remains one of the most misunderstood obligations in the regulatory landscape. Many founders and compliance teams treat MSB registration […]
Crypto AML Regulations in the United States
The cryptocurrency industry in the United States has moved from experimental technology to mainstream financial infrastructure. Billions of dollars flow through crypto exchanges, DeFi platforms, and digital asset services daily. Traditional banks now custody Bitcoin. Major payment processors integrate crypto payments. Institutional investors allocate to digital assets. This maturation has brought something else: regulatory scrutiny. […]