In a significant policy shift, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche issued a memorandum titled “Ending Regulation By Prosecution,” on April 7, 2025, signaling a change in the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) approach to digital assets. The memorandum, outlines a move away from the previous administration’s enforcement efforts, which the memo called “reckless” and “ill conceived
On March 13, 2025, the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for U.S. Stablecoins (GENIUS) Act, which aims to establish a regulatory framework for payment stablecoins, passed the United States Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs with a bipartisan 18-6 vote, paving the way for Congressional approval. The bill was introduced and sponsored by Senator
On March 7, 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) released Interpretive Letter 1183, marking a pivotal change in regulatory guidance for national banks and federal savings associations engaging in cryptocurrency activities. This recent directive, issued under Acting Comptroller Rodney Hood, rescinds the requirements set by Interpretive Letter 1179 from November
We have written previously about the new administration’s significant shifts in its approach to criminal enforcement and prosecution of money laundering cases. Specifically, we wrote about shifts at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as seen in United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi’s February 5, 2025 memorandum outlining the ways in which the DOJ will
Does it matter if a law is valid if the Government refuses to enforce it? For months, we have watched (and blogged on) courts grappling with the constitutionality and enforceability of the Corporate Transparency Act (“CTA”). While, as we have blogged most recently here, courts have produced mixed returns on the validity of the
On February 20, 2025, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) announced that they had entered into a formal agreement with Patriot Bank, National Association (“Patriot Bank”), following a comprehensive examination that identified several regulatory deficiencies and unsafe banking practices.
Key Takeaways
Developments concerning the enforceability and enforcement of the CTA came at a rapid clip this week. As things stand, the government may enforce the CTA pending a Texas court appeal in Smith v. U.S. Department of the Treasury. FinCEN indicated its intent to enforce the CTA but provided reporting companies with a revised deadline to
The new administration has signaled that the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) will significantly shift its approach to criminal corporate enforcement. Specifically, on February 5, 2025, newly-confirmed United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi issued a memorandum (the “Bondi Memo”) that outlined the ways in which the DOJ will aim to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations
Brink’s Global Services USA (“BGS USA”), a global leader in secure logistics, found itself at the center of a significant regulatory investigation due to its failure to meet anti-money laundering (“AML”) obligations. Specifically, BGS USA was found to have violated several provisions of the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), leading to actions by both the U.S.
FinCEN Issues Corresponding But Limited Extensions of Reporting Deadlines
The Fates of the CTA and Corresponding CDD Rule Remain in a State of Flux
The Fifth Circuit has granted the government’s request to stay temporarily the order and injunction issued by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, which had issued
