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Brazil is introducing a new safeguard for cryptocurrency transactions that will require regulated institutions to delay certain outbound virtual asset transfers for 24 hours before allowing them to proceed. The measure, adopted by the Central Bank of Brazil, is designed to give financial institutions additional time to identify potentially fraudulent or illicit transactions before digital assets leave their control and are transferred to foreign platforms or privately control

A network of companies based in the United Arab Emirates has been identified as playing a central role in financial structures used to move money connected to Iran, highlighting the continuing challenges posed by sophisticated shadow banking and sanctions-evasion arrangements. The networks have been used to facilitate payments linked to Iranian oil and other commercial activities while attempting to conceal the origin and destination of the funds. The structures identified by

Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority has issued a formal warning against a former managing director of a financial services institution over serious and persistent deficiencies in measures intended to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing. The regulatory action, issued on 3 July 2026 and becoming final on 9 August, highlights an increasingly important principle in financial crime supervision: responsibility for ineffective AML controls can extend direc

Sri Lanka has ordered the immediate blocking of 24 online gambling and betting websites that are operating without the licenses required under the country’s legal framework. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) has instructed all telecommunications service providers to restrict access to the identified platforms with immediate effect. The websites covered by the directive are 1xbet.com, betway.com/en-lk, 22bet.com, melbet.com, unibet.com, betfair.

World Liberty Financial is facing increased scrutiny after a $100 million purchase of its governance tokens was linked to a businessman who is the subject of an ongoing money laundering investigation in the United Kingdom. The investment, made through an entity connected to the UAE-based Aqua1 Foundation, has raised questions about the source of the funds and the due diligence applied to investors in the Trump-linked cryptocurrency venture. The investment represents the large

The United Kingdom has expanded its sanctions regime against Russia, targeting banks, financial businesses, vessels and companies connected to the country's energy sector and sanctions-evasion networks. The latest measures are intended to restrict Russia's ability to generate revenue from oil exports and access international financial services, while increasing pressure on the networks used to circumvent restrictions imposed since the invasion of Ukraine. The measures include

Cryptocurrency exchange HTX has come under renewed scrutiny over changes to its on-chain wallet infrastructure, with blockchain intelligence analysis indicating that the platform has repeatedly rotated wallets across several major networks. The activity has raised concerns among compliance professionals because frequent changes to the addresses used to hold and transfer exchange assets can make it more difficult to identify and monitor the financial flows associated with a la

A former Goldman Sachs investment banker has been convicted in the United States for his role in a bribery and money laundering scheme connected to the development and financing of a major power plant in Ghana. The conviction follows a federal trial in which prosecutors presented evidence that the banker used his position, financial expertise and international connections to facilitate payments to Ghanaian public officials while concealing the movement and purpose of the fund

The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) has introduced a new Financial Crime Compliance Strategy for 2026, setting out a more risk-focused and outcomes-driven approach to combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other forms of financial crime across Malta's financial services sector. The strategy is intended to strengthen supervisory effectiveness while preparing regulated businesses for major changes to the European Union's anti-money laundering framework an

Prosecutors in Curaçao have asked the court to acquit a businessman of money laundering charges in the long-running Avior investigation, concluding that although significant suspicions remain, the evidence gathered during the decade-long investigation is insufficient to secure a criminal conviction. The development marks a notable turn in one of the Caribbean's most prominent financial crime cases, highlighting the challenges prosecutors face in complex cross-border money lau

Australia's largest wagering companies have rejected claims that millions of dollars stolen by a former financial adviser were spent through their betting platforms, as the federal government's proposed gambling reforms come under scrutiny during a Senate inquiry. The Senate committee investigating the Interactive Gambling Amendment (Gambling Reform) Bill 2026 heard evidence from anti-gambling advocate Reverend Tim Costello, who referred to the case of a former financial advi

Singapore authorities have charged two individuals for allegedly laundering proceeds derived from impersonation and romance scams, reinforcing the country's continued efforts to combat the movement of illicit funds through personal bank accounts. The case highlights the increasing focus of law enforcement on individuals who knowingly or recklessly facilitate the transfer of criminal proceeds, even when they are not directly involved in committing the underlying fraud. Accordi

After more than a decade of anticipation, Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court (STF) officially began hearing Extraordinary Appeal (RE) 966177 on Wednesday (5), a case that will determine the constitutionality of the country's longstanding prohibition on games of chance. The appeal first reached the Supreme Court in 2016, before Brazil legalized and later regulated fixed-odds sports betting. According to information released by the STF, the central issue before the Court is whether

Kenyan families have been given new legal authority to step in when a relative’s gambling behaviour threatens household finances or the welfare of dependants, following the introduction of comprehensive new gambling regulations. The Gambling Control (Conduct of Gambling Operations) Regulations, 2026, which were published in the Kenya Gazette on June 30, create a legal mechanism allowing family members and other concerned individuals to apply to the Gaming Regulatory Authority

Sri Lanka has taken decisive action against unlicensed online gambling by blocking access to 24 betting and gaming websites, including major international platforms such as Stake, bet365, Betway and 1xBet. The move follows a directive issued by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL), which instructed all telecommunications service providers across the country to immediately restrict access to the identified websites. The enforcement action was annou

Indian authorities are intensifying one of the country's largest real estate money laundering investigations, with Raheja Developers Chairman Navin M. Raheja and Managing Director Nayan N. Raheja at the centre of a probe involving the alleged diversion of thousands of crores of rupees collected from homebuyers. The investigation, led by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), has resulted in the attachment of assets worth more than ₹1,600 crore as authorities continue tracing funds

RBC Capital Markets has agreed to pay a US$275,000 fine and accept a formal censure after the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) found that the firm's anti-money laundering (AML) monitoring programme failed to adequately detect and escalate suspicious transactions for more than seven years. The enforcement action underscores regulators' continued focus on ensuring that financial institutions maintain effective transaction monitoring systems capable of identifying

Six individuals have pleaded guilty in the United States for their roles in a sophisticated money laundering conspiracy that channelled more than US$30 million in drug trafficking proceeds through the U.S. financial system before transferring the funds to criminal organisations abroad. The case, prosecuted in the Southern District of Florida, highlights the complex methods used by transnational criminal networks to disguise the origins of illicit drug profits and move them ac

U.S. authorities have charged a senior executive of a UK-registered charity with conspiring to provide material support and financial assistance to Hamas, alleging that the organisation operated as a front to channel money, goods and other resources to the group under the guise of humanitarian aid. The case highlights increasing international efforts to disrupt the misuse of charitable organisations for terrorism financing and the growing cooperation between law enforcement a

UBS Financial Services has agreed to pay a record US$125 million to resolve coordinated enforcement actions brought by four U.S. regulators over longstanding anti-money laundering (AML) failures, marking the largest civil penalty ever imposed on a broker-dealer for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA). The action was jointly taken by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority