Financial Action Task Force

Anti-Money Laundering

Balancing Act: FATF Walks Fine Line Between Crime-Fighting and Inclusion

By Nathan Lynch | 18/08/2025

Banks across the Asia-Pacific region need to strike a better balance between the complementary goals of financial crime-fighting and financial inclusion, writes Nathan Lynch.

PEPs & Sanctions

Nepal Mandates Immediate Sanctions Freezing for Payment Firms

By Mark Johnston | 18/08/2025

New guidelines require immediate freezing of assets and daily screening, with financial penalties up to NPR 2 million for non-compliance.

Anti-Money Laundering

Indonesia Blocked Millions of Accounts in Online Gambling Crackdown

By Editors | 16/08/2025

The move, targeting dormant accounts and e-wallets to curb illicit funds, has faced public criticism over its scope and execution.

Anti-Money Laundering

Nepal Imposes New AML Rules on Cooperative Institutions

By Editors | 12/08/2025

The government has mandated detailed reporting and 'know your member' rules for all cooperatives as it seeks removal from the FATF grey list.

Supervision & Enforcement

FATF Establishes New Code of Conduct for Stakeholders

By Editors | 11/08/2025

The FATF has introduced a new code to ensure integrity, professionalism, and respect among all its stakeholders.

Anti-Money Laundering

KoFIU Launches Study on AML/CFT Standards for Stablecoins

By Manesh Samtani | 09/08/2025

The Financial Intelligence Unit has commissioned research to align with FATF standards ahead of the country's next phase of virtual asset legislation.

PEPs & Sanctions

Proliferation Financing: Winding Back the ‘Doomsday Clock’ Across APAC

By Nathan Lynch | 07/08/2025

APAC businesses face a daunting task complying with the new FATF proliferation financing rules, but help is at hand, writes Nathan Lynch.

Cryptocurrency

US Releases Crypto Policy Roadmap to Reclaim Global Leadership

By Manesh Samtani | 31/07/2025

The report names Japan and Singapore among the key competitor markets, calls for a revisit of the BCBS crypto standards, and signals an intent to extend the reach of US AML rules.

Anti-Money Laundering

Global AML Regime Delivers Intelligence Value but Fails on Core Goals, Study Finds

By Manesh Samtani | 25/07/2025

A new paper argues that the global AML system is failing to deter crime despite huge costs, with its main value being an intelligence tool.