US takes aim at crypto mixers

Introduction

What is a crypto mixer?

First up, what is a ‘mixer?’

General

Essentially, crypto mixers blend funds from various sources to enhance transaction privacy, often without KYC checks, but this anonymity can enable money laundering and illicit earnings concealment.

Centralised v decentralised

Crypto Mixers can either be centralised or decentralised.

Centralized mixers offer straightforward Bitcoin tumbling for a fee, while decentralized mixers use protocols like CoinJoin to obscure transaction sources.

Other types include obfuscation-based and zero-knowledge-based mixers, each with varying degrees of privacy.

Custodial v non-custodial

Further,  mixers can be either custodial and non-custodial.

A custodial mixer will involve trusted third parties, but users temporarily lose control.

Non-custodial mixers use secure contracts and cryptographic techniques for trustless mixing.

How do they work?

Crypto mixers obscure transaction signatures, mixing cryptocurrencies and returning smaller units to the user’s address, collecting a fee.

Regulatory status?

The legality varies by jurisdiction; the U.S. considers Bitcoin mixers as money transmitters, requiring registration.

Tracking mixers

Tracking is challenging due to the mixing process, which creates a custom blockchain and routes transactions through fictitious exchanges. 

The Designation of Crypto Mixers

The Biden administration has officially labeled international cryptocurrency platforms, commonly referred to as “mixers,” as primary hubs for money laundering activities that pose a risk to national security.

This designation marks an extraordinary step in the regulation of the crypto industry.

New regulatory proposal

The US Treasury Department has introduced a proposal, an unprecedented one in the cryptocurrency space, which typically deploys such measures against foreign banks and foreign jurisdictions.

Under this proposal, special record-keeping and reporting requirements are to be implemented for all financial transactions involving international mixers.

This includes heightened scrutiny of transactions that may pass through these mixers.

Significant regulatory implications

By targeting an entire category of transactions, the U.S. government aims to take a substantial regulatory step that will influence the direction of the global financial system.

This action underscores the government’s commitment to combat the illicit use of cryptocurrencies, especially by terrorist groups.

The regulation is expected to enhance monitoring and oversight of transactions conducted via cryptocurrency mixers.

National security concerns

The primary motivation behind this regulatory action is the concern that mixers are facilitating money laundering activities, potentially connected to terrorist groups, specifically Hamas and other Islamic terrorist groups, posing a risk to national security.

The US government’s designation of mixers as money-laundering hubs reflects its aggressive stance in addressing the misuse of cryptocurrencies.

Conclusion

This development will have far-reaching consequences for the cryptocurrency industry and its participants.

It signals a heightened focus on ensuring transparency and security within the crypto space.

Cryptocurrency platforms, including mixers, are expected to adapt to the new regulatory landscape, including the record-keeping and reporting requirements proposed by the US Treasury Department.

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