India’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU IND) has issued stern warnings to nine offshore Virtual Digital Assets Service Providers (VDA SPs), including prominent platforms like Binance, Kucoin, and Huobi. The crackdown comes as these entities have failed to register and adhere to the Anti Money Laundering (AML) and Counter Financing of Terrorism (CFT) framework.
Nine Major Crypto Exchanges In The Crosshairs
In an official press release, FIU IND revealed that compliance Show Cause Notices have been dispatched to the nine offshore VDA SPs under Section 13 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA). The move is part of a broader effort to bring Virtual Digital Asset Service Providers under the ambit of the AML-CFT framework, a move initiated in March 2023.
The crypto entities targeted by FIU IND include Binance, Kucoin, Huobi, Kraken, Gate.io, Bittrex, Bitstamp, MEXC Global, and Bitfinex. These offshore VDA SPs have allegedly been operating illegally in India without conforming to the provisions of the PML Act.
The director of FIU IND has taken the matter a step further, urging the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to block the URLs of these entities. This aggressive measure is aimed at preventing access to the platforms that are deemed to be flouting Indian financial regulations.
The regulations, incorporated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002, mandate that VDA SPs operating in India, both offshore and onshore, engage in activities like the exchange between virtual digital assets and fiat currencies, transfer of virtual digital assets, and safekeeping or administration of virtual digital assets, to register with FIU IND as Reporting Entities. The regulations impose activity-based obligations, irrespective of physical presence in India.
While 31 VDA SPs have complied with the registration requirements to date, the recent crackdown highlights the presence of several offshore entities catering to a significant portion of Indian users yet evading registration and falling under the AML-CFT framework.
This regulatory move aligns with India’s broader strategy to regulate and supervise the burgeoning cryptocurrency market within its borders, ensuring compliance with international standards for combating money laundering and terrorist financing.
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