October 2020 Regulatory Updates
Regulatory Actions and Updates from Around the Globe
Enforcement Updates – October 2020
International: Regulators in the United States, Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom charged Goldman Sachs for deficiencies in its compliance and AML controls that led to multi-billion misappropriation of funds in a 1MDB bond offering underwritten by the firm in 2012 and 2013. Goldman Sachs agreed to pay over $3 billion in fines to the SEC, SFC, and FCA.
United States: The Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a civil enforcement action charging the BitMEX trading platform with failure to implement required KYC/AML procedures.
United States: The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) targets the founder of Helix and Coin Ninja with a $60-million fine for violating AML laws.
United States: The Securities and Exchange Commission charged a Houston-based seismic data company with an accounting fraud that inflated the company’s revenue by approximately $100 million.
United States: The SEC fined Israel-based day-trading education firm $130,000 for selling security-based swaps to over 5,000 retail investors without registration.
United Kingdom: The Financial Conduct Authority censured Aviva plc insurance company for listing and transparency rules breaches.
Expert Insights
FCA Research Reveals 1.1 Million Spike in Cryptoasset Buyers
Oct 13, 2020 | In our October Expert Insight series, Denisse Rudich of Rudich Advisory reviews the FCA’s recent findings on the growth of the cryptoassets industry in the UK and potential regulatory changes.
October’s Regtech Theme: UBO Due Diligence
Identifying and verifying an Ultimate Beneficial owner (UBO) of the company you are doing business with is a crucial requirement of corporate due diligence.
What are UBOs? How can you make sure they are not involved in money laundering or terrorist financing, and comply with AML regulations?
Learn more in the recent iComply Glossary article: Ultimate Beneficial Owner due diligence.
Upcoming Events
Fireside Chat: Navigating the Complexities of Beneficial Ownership
Date: Thursday, November 26, 2020 | 10am PST – 1pm EST – 7pm CET
Curious about the challenges and importance of beneficial ownership and proper due diligence?
Join our live November fireside chat, “Navigating the Complexities of Beneficial Ownership: The Challenges of UBO Due Diligence.“
learn more
Is your AML compliance too expensive, time-consuming, or ineffective?
iComply enables financial services providers to reduce costs, risk, and complexity and improve staff capacity, effectiveness, and customer experience.
Request a demo today.
AML Screening in UK Capital Markets: What MiCA and FCA Expect in 2025
As UK regulators intensify AML oversight, capital markets firms must modernize their compliance strategy. This guide breaks down 2025 expectations and offers practical solutions using iComply’s AML platform.
Smarter KYB for U.S. Community Banks: Uncovering Risk in SMB Accounts
As KYB regulations tighten in 2025, community banks must rethink how they verify and monitor small business clients. This guide explores practical ways to meet compliance expectations without adding headcount.
How to Uncover Beneficial Ownership in Complex Corporate Structures
Struggling to identify beneficial owners across layered corporate structures? This article explains how to meet UBO and KYB compliance requirements using automation, reduce manual work, and onboard clients faster with iComply.
