Tonight, EU legislators are hoping to reach a political agreement on the Anti-Money Laundering Regulation. For the crypto industry, here is what's at stake:
◾ Generally, the bill adds more requirements for firms to identify and track their customers’ transactions to apply due diligence.
◾For crypto, that includes a due diligence process for even the smallest transactions worth less than €1000.
◾Merchants will be limited accepting payments from self-custody wallets that aren't linked to a licensed crypto firm.
◾There could be a ban on coins which enhance anonymity, like Monero or Zcash.
◾Crypto mixers, like Tornado Cash, and privacy wallets are dubbed high risk. The European Commission will need to recommend whether to ban these tools 2-3 years after enforcement.
◾ There used to be concern that the AMLR diverges from the scope of MiCA by sweeping in DeFi, DAOs and NFT platforms. But, the AMLR should only apply to entities recognised by MiCA. That means, leaving out purely decentralised protocols.
◾ When the AMLR law will come into force is still in negotiation, but it is expected between 2026 and 2027.
For more details, see the full article in the comments.