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Regulatory Watch News

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  Public register makes it harder for criminals to launder money through crypto

  Austrac

  April 2, 2026

  Australia’s anti‑money laundering and counter‑terrorism financing (AML/CTF) laws have expanded, strengthening safeguards to make it significantly harder for criminals to launder money through crypto and other virtual assets. The reforms introduce greater oversight of businesses operating in the virtual asset sector, which AUSTRAC continues to identify as a high money‑laundering risk. The changes ensure Australia’s financial crime laws keep pace with the rapid growth of crypto and other virtual assets, closing known gaps that criminals have sought to exploit, and aligning Australia with global standards.

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  Treasury Seeks Public Comment on GENIUS Act Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Concerning State-Level Regulatory Regimes

  US Department of the Treasury

  April 1, 2026

  WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) seeking public comment related to Treasury’s implementation of the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act. The NPRM is the first regulation Treasury has proposed to implement the GENIUS Act. Under the GENIUS Act, payment stablecoin issuers with a consolidated total outstanding issuance of not more than $10,000,000,000 may opt for regulation under a state-level regulatory regime, provided that the state-level regulatory regime is substantially similar to the federal regulatory framework. The GENIUS Act directs Treasury to, through notice and comment rulemaking, establish broad-based principles for determining whether a state-level regulatory regime is substantially similar to the federal regulatory framework under the GENIUS Act.

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  Greece: New developments in EPPO’s probe into large-scale agricultural subsidy fraud

  European Public Prosecutor's Office

  April 1, 2026

  (Luxembourg, 1 April 2026) – Today, in accordance with the procedures laid down by the EPPO Regulation and the Hellenic national law, the European Chief Prosecutor requested to the Hellenic Parliament the lifting of immunity of 11 active Members of Parliament in an investigation into an alleged organised fraud scheme involving agricultural funds. Five former Members of Parliament are also under investigation. In parallel, the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Athens (Greece) has referred to the Hellenic Parliament information regarding alleged involvement of a former Minister and a Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food.