FATF and Crypto Regulations: What You Need to Know About Global Crypto Rules

When you trade crypto, you’re not just dealing with technology—you’re dealing with FATF, the Financial Action Task Force, an intergovernmental body that sets global anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing standards. Also known as the Financial Action Task Force on Money Laundering, it’s the reason why exchanges like Coinbase and Binance ask for your ID, block users from certain countries, and track every transaction. If you’re using crypto outside of a bank, FATF’s rules are quietly shaping your experience.

FATF doesn’t make laws, but it tells countries what laws to pass—and most of them follow. In 2019, it added crypto asset service providers to its rules, meaning exchanges, wallet providers, and even some DeFi platforms now have to collect user data, report suspicious activity, and verify identities. This is why you can’t sign up for a major exchange without uploading a passport. It’s also why some countries like China and India banned crypto outright—because they couldn’t or wouldn’t comply. FATF’s Travel Rule is the big one: any transfer over $1,000 must include sender and receiver info. That’s why non-custodial wallets still struggle to connect with regulated platforms. If you’re holding crypto on an exchange, you’re already under FATF’s watch.

FATF doesn’t just target exchanges. It looks at the whole chain: who’s sending, who’s receiving, and how the money moves. That’s why you’ll find so many posts here about geographic restrictions, AUSTRAC in Australia, and FATCA for U.S. citizens. They’re all pieces of the same puzzle. FATF’s guidelines are the reason RAI Finance, WOOFi, and OVEX all handle KYC differently. They’re why Numogram and Dogcoin get flagged as high-risk—no team, no compliance, no transparency. And they’re why you can’t just hop on a DEX with fiat and expect to stay anonymous forever. The world is moving toward traceability, and FATF is the engine behind it.

What you’ll find below aren’t just random articles—they’re real-world examples of how FATF’s rules play out on the ground. From Australian crypto exchange registrations to U.S. tax reporting, from blocked countries to exchange shutdowns, every post here shows how global policy affects your wallet. Whether you’re trying to avoid penalties, understand why your exchange blocked you, or just want to know what’s legal where, this collection gives you the facts without the fluff.