News & Analysis as of September 7, 2025

FinCEN › Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

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The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) is a bureau of the U.S. Department of the Treasury charged with detecting and combatting illegal activity within the financial system. FinCEN detects evidence of money laundering, terrorist financing and other financial crimes by collecting, monitoring, and analyzing financial transaction data. Such data is disseminated to both domestic and international law enforcement agencies. less -

DOJ Refines Illicit Finance Enforcement Approach for DeFi

Alston & Bird on 9/5/2025

Our White Collar, Government & Internal Investigations Group reviews several Department of Justice statements that together signal how it will enforce illicit finance risks in decentralized finance (DeFi), focusing on...more

DOJ Official Addresses DeFi Platform Developer Liability Under Money Transmission Statute

Latham & Watkins LLP on 9/3/2025

DOJ will focus on criminal intent over mere code creation, seeking to balance legal accountability with support for innovation....more

Tornado Cash Jury Deadlocked on Most Serious Charges, but Convicted Founder Roman Storm on Conspiracy to Operate an Unlicensed...

Ballard Spahr LLP on 8/27/2025

On August 6th, 2025, following a four-week trial, a jury found Roman Storm, the founder of a crypto mixing service called Tornado Cash, guilty of conspiracy to operate an unlicensed money transmitting business. The jury was...more

Treasury Issues Request for Comment on Innovative Methods to Detect Illicit Activity Involving Digital Assets

Troutman Pepper Locke on 8/25/2025

On August 18, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a Request for Comment, inviting interested members of the public to provide input on innovative methods to detect and mitigate illicit finance risks involving digital...more

The Tornado Cash Trial’s Mixed Verdict: Implications for Developer Liability

Mayer Brown on 8/15/2025

On August 6, 2025, following a four-week trial, a jury in the Southern District of New York delivered a mixed verdict in the criminal case against Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm. The jury convicted Storm of conspiring to...more

Weekly Blockchain Blog - May 2025

BakerHostetler on 5/5/2025

U.S. Companies Continue Stablecoin Payment Integrations, Product Launches - According to a recent press release, a major multinational payment card services company has announced several new programs to support global...more

Blockchain+ Bi-Weekly; Highlights of the Last Two Weeks in Web3 Law: March 27, 2025

Polsinelli on 3/28/2025

The past two weeks brought some notable progress for the industry, though it still often feels like “regulation by lack of enforcement” rather than a truly proactive approach. The SEC clarified that most proof-of-work mining...more

Digital Transformation: eSignature and ePayment News and Trends - November/December 2024

DLA Piper on 1/2/2025

Today’s ever-shifting business environment means that consumers, businesses, employers, and employees all expect to transact digitally. To remain efficient and competitive, companies must digitally transform their businesses....more

PHFintech: Crypto Policy Tracker

Paul Hastings LLP on 11/18/2024

With the 119th Congress set to take office in January, we’re here to keep you up to date on key developments in the fast-evolving landscape of crypto policy. As a reminder, each new Congress starts with a clean slate, meaning...more

Weekly Blockchain Blog - February 2024

BakerHostetler on 2/20/2024

Crypto Firms Make Acquisitions, Integrate Products; New Crypto Index Launches - According to a recent press release, a major U.S. fintech company has announced an agreement to acquire a major digital asset custody provider....more

“Decentralized Finance (DeFi),” Fintech, Regtech, and the Financial Services Industry (Ch. 8A)

WilmerHale on 2/9/2024

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is an umbrella term used to describe financial services provided outside of the traditional markets, that rely on blockchain technologies to create innovative products instead of relying on...more

FinCEN’s Mixer 311 Has Immediate Impacts for U.S. Financial Institutions and De-Fi Protocols

Paul Hastings LLP on 11/3/2023

On October 19, FinCEN announced its determination that transactions with foreign operating crypto-mixers, a service that obfuscates the source and destination of transactions on a public blockchain, are of “Primary Money...more

DSIR Deeper Dive: 2023 Crypto Threat Landscape

BakerHostetler on 10/6/2023

Following one of the most turbulent years in crypto history, 2023, in contrast, unfolded as a year of reprieve, including from crypto threats. According to a July 12, 2023, report from blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis,...more

Troutman Pepper Weekly Consumer Financial Services Newsletter - September 2023 # 4

Troutman Pepper Locke on 9/26/2023

To keep you informed of recent activities, below are several of the most significant federal and state events that have influenced the Consumer Finance Services industry over the past week...more

Cryptocurrency: Legal Developments and Outlook

King & Spalding on 9/25/2023

Federal and state regulators have taken an increased interest in regulating cryptocurrencies, digital assets, and the larger blockchain ecosystem. This landscape is opaque and rapidly evolving, and many industry participants...more

[Event] 2nd Forum on Digital Assets Compliance: AML, Sanctions and Regulatory Oversight - October 17th - 18th, New York, NY

American Conference Institute (ACI) on 9/25/2023

With so many new, emerging risks coming to the forefront, ACI is excited to announce our Digital Assets Compliance: AML, Sanctions and Regulatory Oversight. Unlike other conferences, this highly anticipated event stands apart...more

DeFi protocol Uniswap and investors avoid suit for fraudulent activity on digital asset exchange

A&O Shearman on 9/15/2023

On August 30, 2023, in a case of first impression, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York dismissed in full a putative securities class action against Uniswap Labs, a decentralized finance (“DeFi”)...more

Blockchain+ Bi-Weekly - July 2023

Polsinelli on 7/28/2023

The Blockchain Bi-Weekly presented by the Polsinelli Blockchain+ team is a rundown of some of the key stories in the Web3, blockchain and crypto ecosystems curated by our attorneys navigating the intersections of code, smart...more

Cryptocurrencies and Risk Under the Antiterrorism Act

Jones Day on 6/19/2023

In Short - The Situation: Terrorists may be increasingly turning to cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions and finance terrorist acts, as recent prosecutions and reports suggest. Under the Antiterrorism Act ("ATA"), as...more

Daily Financial Regulation Update -- Saturday, April 22, 2023

Paul Hastings LLP on 4/24/2023

April 21, 2023- The Financial Stability Oversight Council (Council) voted unanimously to issue for public comment a proposed analytic framework for financial stability risks. The Council also voted unanimously to issue for...more

Treasury’s DeFi Risk Assessment Draws Lines in the Sand Around “Control”

Paul Hastings LLP on 4/14/2023

On April 6, 2023, Treasury issued its risk assessment for decentralized financial (“DeFi”) services as required by Executive Order 14067. While not guidance, the Risk Assessment can provide some insight into Treasury’s views...more

Paper Touts DeFi FX Benefits; New Stablecoin Launched; DAO Toolkit Published; BIS Addresses Crypto Risk; SEC, FinCEN, and DOJ...

BakerHostetler on 1/23/2023

Paper Explores Benefits of DeFi for FX; Australian Bank Launches Stablecoin - A recent industry paper found that DeFi can reduce costs and enhance transparency in foreign exchange (FX) markets. The paper concludes that...more

Top PHive Crypto Enforcement Notes: January Edition

Paul Hastings LLP on 1/13/2023

Happy New Year! While the holidays hopefully provided a chance to rest and recharge, things have not slowed down in the world of digital asset enforcement. We see a growing dedication of resources by government law...more

Crypto Payment Products, DeFi Networks and Price Indices Launch; CBDC Report and NFT Royalty Data Published; FinCEN, FTC Address...

BakerHostetler on 12/12/2022

Payments Firms Launch Crypto Products, New DeFi Price Indices Announced - A U.S. fintech company recently announced the launch of a fiat-to-crypto on-ramp, which facilitates fiat-to-crypto payments using “a customizable...more

Opportunities, Risks, and Compliance in the Digital Assets Space

K2 Integrity on 10/3/2022

On 14 September 2022, K2 Integrity hosted a webinar on considerations in the digital assets space. K2 Integrity Board Member Christopher Brummer and AML/CFT experts Mariano Federici and Alex Levitov discussed the current...more

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FinCEN › Decentralized Finance (DeFi)

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