New EU Regulations Target Anonymous Crypto Transactions

The European Union (EU) has recently passed a set of anti-money laundering laws that specifically target anonymous cryptocurrency accounts. Under these new regulations, crypto asset service providers are prohibited from offering services or custody to accounts that maintain anonymity. The legislation, known as the “prevention of the use of the financial system for the purposes of money laundering or terrorist financing,” was approved by the European Parliament on March 19.

The rationale behind this move is the perceived risk that the anonymity associated with crypto assets could be exploited for criminal activities. The proposal emphasizes that the anonymous nature of these assets complicates the traceability of crypto-asset transfers, making it challenging to identify suspicious transactions that could pose a risk to service providers.

The EU’s Enhanced Regulations on Privacy Coins and Anonymity

The 329-page document further specifies that anonymity-enhancing coins and accounts, which facilitate the anonymization or increased obfuscation of transactions, should also be excluded from interactions with crypto service providers. This includes assets that have undergone anonymization through mixing protocols like Tornado Cash, as well as privacy coins such as Monero.

It’s important to note that these measures do not extend to hardware or software providers, nor do they apply to providers of unhosted wallets that do not directly control their users’ crypto asset wallets. The decision to implement these measures was made during a meeting between the EU Council and the Parliament in December 2022.

However, not everyone agrees with this approach. Patrick Breyer, a member of the European Parliament representing Pirate Party Germany since 2019, voiced his opposition to the proposal. He argues that individuals have the right to conduct online transactions without their personal information being recorded. Breyer also suggests that the EU’s attempt to regulate virtual currencies at a regional level demonstrates a lack of understanding of the global nature of the internet.

We have a right to pay and donate online without our personal transactions being recorded. If the EU believes it can regulate virtual currencies at a regional level, it hasn’t understood the global nature of the Internet.

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