They are closely related to the activities of the
FATF (Financial Action Task Force), an international organization created in 1989 to promote cooperation in the field of combating money laundering. The measures taken are aimed at combating the financing of terrorism, tax fraud and international smuggling. Although AML procedures may vary from country to country, many states are seeking to harmonize standards in this area.
With the advent of new technologies, new methods of money laundering appear. AML software is developed to identify behavior that may be suspicious. Examples of this behavior include large money transfers, multiple receipts of funds into an account, and matches of user data with wanted lists. AML rules apply not only to cryptocurrencies, but also to any asset or fiat currency that can be traced and verified in accordance with these rules.
The implementation of AML laws in the cryptocurrency sector took a lot of time to work effectively.
The rapid development of blockchain technologies leads to constant changes in AML procedures, in accordance with regulatory measures. However, these changes do not always have a positive impact.
Cryptocurrency owners value anonymity and decentralization of their assets, so increased regulation and requirements for documenting the identity of users are perceived as contrary to the ethos of cryptocurrencies.