All Articles

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has released its second Impact Assessment Report on the minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities (MREL), examining how the framework has affected banks across the European Union, as well as its influence on markets and funding structures. According to the findings, banks within the EU have continued to strengthen their MREL positions while also improving their access to financial markets, with minimal disruption to their

Criminal Investigation Bureau in Taiwan has successfully dismantled a large-scale money laundering network tied to Macau that is believed to have processed roughly NT$330 billion ($1 billion) in illicit funds over the course of a single year, according to local reporting. The operation, which has now been formally charged by the Yunlin District Prosecutors’ Office, followed a series of coordinated arrests carried out across multiple regions of Taiwan. Authorities identified t

The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission is weighing a significant tightening of oversight within its gambling industry, with new proposals that would shift part of the compliance responsibility away from corporate entities and directly onto individuals. Under the suggested reforms, regulators would gain the authority to impose financial penalties on managers and key personnel who are accountable for failures in know-your-customer and anti-money laundering controls. Th

Danish authorities have concluded an extensive regulatory inspection of Merex International AS, culminating in a series of binding enforcement directives aimed at remedying deep-rooted deficiencies in the company’s anti-money laundering framework. The review, carried out by the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority, uncovered substantial weaknesses tied to the firm’s business model, particularly its involvement in currency exchange and international money transfers to jurisd

The United States Department of the Treasury has moved decisively against an international network of sixteen individuals and entities orchestrated by Alaa Hassan Hamieh, accusing the group of diverting more than 100 million dollars since 2020 through a complex system of financial manipulation. The sweeping enforcement action spans multiple jurisdictions, including Lebanon, Syria, Poland, Slovenia, Qatar, and Canada, and is aimed at dismantling an elaborate structure used for

Financial conduct regulation in the United Kingdom is confronting what can only be described as a severe crisis of legitimacy, marked by a widening disconnect between its legal mandates and the realities of market behavior. A report published on March 16, 2026, titled "Why Our Financial Conduct Regulation Needs Reforming", delivers an almost unanimous conclusion that the current institutional framework has failed in its core mission to safeguard the integrity of the British e

The United Kingdom has initiated formal proceedings to dissolve two London-registered companies after uncovering evidence that they facilitated approximately $1 billion in transactions for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Authorities found that the firms operated as a coordinated enterprise, moving digital assets through the TRON blockchain while deliberately bypassing international anti-money laundering controls. This case highlights growing concerns over the mi

The European Banking Authority has released its final report on draft implementing technical standards for the supervisory reporting of third-country branches under the Capital Requirements Directive VI. The authority said the new reporting package is designed to provide supervisors with high-quality information while ensuring proportionality, clarity, and operational feasibility for reporting institutions. The framework introduces uniform reporting formats, harmonized defini

At the Global Fraud Summit in Vienna this week, international authorities delivered a stark warning: fraud has evolved into a vast, technologically sophisticated global economy responsible for an estimated $1.03 trillion in annual losses.   Leaders from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and Interpol joined policymakers, regulators, and financial experts to confront what is no longer viewed as isolated criminal activity, but as an interconnected and highly organized syste

On March 17, 2026, the Monetary Authority of Singapore took decisive enforcement action against two former relationship managers implicated in a sprawling three-billion-dollar money laundering scandal, issuing strict prohibition orders that underscore the city-state’s zero-tolerance stance on financial misconduct. Wang Qiming was handed a sweeping sixteen-year ban, while Liu Kai received a seven-year prohibition, both following their criminal convictions in late 2025. These s

Argentina has moved to impose a nationwide ban on the prediction market platform Polymarket, citing the company’s lack of local authorization and raising concerns tied to gambling risks and consumer safeguards.   The decision places Argentina among a growing number of jurisdictions that are classifying such platforms as unlicensed gambling services rather than purely financial or informational tools.   The ruling mandates that internet service providers across the country blo

Responsible gambling campaigns dominate sports sponsorships and social media messaging, yet South Africa’s vast informal gambling ecosystem continues to flourish with minimal oversight.   Research from RelyComply indicates that as gambling participation grows—spanning online betting, casino gaming, and horse racing—roughly 30% of South Africans are believed to have engaged with illegal gambling platforms. This activity may be costing the economy up to R10 million annually.  

The Austrian Financial Market Authority has levied a fine of 127,500 EUR against NOTARTREUHANDBANK AG after uncovering substantial shortcomings in the institution’s compliance with anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing obligations. The enforcement action follows findings that the bank failed to implement sufficient strategies and internal controls to mitigate the risks of illicit financial activity. According to regulators, the institution did not adequately m

The United Kingdom government has imposed a sweeping £100 million asset freeze on Ali Ansari, a high-profile Iranian banker accused of supplying essential financial infrastructure to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The sanctions target an extensive international property empire, stretching from luxury mansions in London to high-end estates along Spain’s coastline. Authorities allege that Ansari orchestrated a sophisticated web of corporate entities designed to conceal

The Government of New Zealand has formally introduced a sweeping legislative reform aimed at modernizing the country’s approach to tackling illicit financial flows. This initiative is designed to ease regulatory pressures on domestic businesses while reinforcing safeguards against increasingly sophisticated financial crime. By simplifying oversight structures and strengthening risk-based compliance mechanisms, authorities seek to preserve the nation’s standing as a trusted hu

Banking institutions in Hong Kong are increasingly turning to advanced automated technologies to manage the growing complexities of corporate oversight. A notable example of this shift is the collaboration between DBS Bank Hong Kong and Know Your Customer Limited, which illustrates how anti-money laundering frameworks are being modernized in a rapidly evolving financial environment. By embedding artificial intelligence into its onboarding systems, the bank is working to remov

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry in Kuwait has issued Decision No 25 of 2026, establishing a comprehensive framework to tackle financial crimes across non-financial sectors, according to an announcement by KUNA. This regulatory update introduces a structured matrix of violations and penalties specifically aimed at non-financial businesses and professions, reinforcing the country’s defenses against illicit fund movements. By categorizing infractions according to their pot

Europe’s financial crime supervision is entering a new operational phase as the Anti-Money Laundering Authority (AMLA) begins a structured data collection exercise involving selected financial institutions. The initiative is designed to test supervisory risk models before direct oversight of major banks commences later in the decade. National regulators are coordinating the participation, while institutions submit operational information relevant to financial crime risk. This

The United States Department of Justice has successfully seized $14.9 million linked to an international cartel money laundering operation following a long-term civil forfeiture investigation. Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of Michigan recently unsealed the case to underscore the massive scale of trade-based financial crimes occurring within American borders. Officials claim that the forfeited funds originated from the illicit sale of narcotics and were funneled

U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal has unveiled a comprehensive legislative proposal aimed at tightening regulation of prediction markets, seeking to impose new protections against fraud, insider trading and the participation of underage individuals on these rapidly expanding online platforms. Joined by Senator Andy Kim, Blumenthal introduced the “Prediction Markets Security and Integrity Act,” a bill that would make it unlawful for both individuals and platform operators to use