The Top 10  Most Difficult Countries for Identity Verification

The Top 10  Most Difficult Countries for Identity Verification

Download Report

    n-img-roi-cross

    Before You Go, Schedule Your Free Demo Today

    Valid Invalid number


    Note: Fields marked with an asterisk(*) are mandatory.

    n-exit-img-roi-cross

    Thank you for your demo request

    We appreciate your interest and look forward to discussing how our solution can meet your needs. Expect to hear from us shortly with scheduling details.

    Close

    us

    51.8.102.127

    Crypto Regulations 2021 – The Updated Compliance Regime in France

    French crypto regulation Blog Image-01

    Within the last two years, France’ cryptocurrency landscape has experienced significant milestones. The country’s crypto industry, which became regulated in 2019, has now become liable to implement robust Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures, on top of a few other changes. The new crypto regulations are indicative of a major disruption in the cryptocurrency market. These changes were initially introduced in the Ordinance № 2020-1544 on 9 December 2020 and have come into effect as of 9 June 2021. That being said, let’s take a look at what the updates are and how companies can maintain KYC compliance to avoid fines and penalties. 

    Current Landscape of Crypto Regulation in France

    The current regulations regarding the treatment of cryptocurrencies can be found in the PACTE law. The French PACTE law was introduced back in 2019 to regulate the cryptocurrency industry. Prior to the regulation of this emerging market, regulators were concerned about the use of crypto-assets to facilitate crimes, including money laundering and terrorism financing. 

    July 7, 2021 infographics-01

    Under the PACTE law, crypto firms are required to register with the AMF (Autorité des marchés financiers) – the French financial regulators. Additionally, any firm that needs to receive additional benefits, such as unrestricted access to financial services, has to acquire an optional licence from the AMF. With the help of this licence, crypto firms became eligible to open a deposit or payment account with French credit institutions. 

    What’s the Update? 

    Prior to June 2021, the four basic principles of the PACTE law were only applicable to crypto-to-fiat transactions and cryptocurrency custodians. The updated French crypto regulation extends the scope of AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and KYC compliance to crypto-to-crypto transactions and trading platforms operating in France. 

    KYC requirements, in particular, have been tightened in the French cryptocurrency market. To streamline the KYC process, however, the use of third party service providers for KYC procedures has been permitted. Following is the summary of the five major updates that have been listed down in new French regulation for crypto. 

    1- Anonymous Transactions Banned

    Perhaps the biggest change in the French crypto regulation has been the effective ban on anonymous crypto transactions. This means that the transaction limit for KYC checks has been updated from €1000 to €0. As a result, even the smallest crypto transaction will now go through Know Your Customer procedures to mitigate the risks of financial crime. 

    2- Mandatory KYC

    Any crypto firm operating in France now has to implement robust Know Your Customer processes to stay compliant to the country’s cryptocurrency regulation. Under the decree published by the Finance Ministry, each crypto customer will have to go through an identity verification process, regardless of the size of their transaction. Regardless of the controversies, regarding this law, KYC checks were deemed necessary by regulatory authorities due to their ability to detect and prevent financial crimes. The rule has been expanded to include crypto-to-crypto transactions and cryptocurrency exchanges. 

    Suggested Read: Latest Regulatory Updates on KYC Verification for Crypto Exchanges

    3- Registration with AMF

    Similar to all other cryptocurrency transactions, French crypto-to-crypto services and trading platforms are mandated to register with the Financial Markets Authority, more commonly known as AMF. To ensure compliance, the AMF will be verifying the firm’s Ultimate Beneficial Owners (UBOs) and managers. A close check will also be kept on the implementation of AML and CFT measures.

    4- Third-party KYC

    Following the announcement of the updated French crypto regulation, concerns were raised regarding higher costs of KYC compliance and customer onboarding. The Block reported that where customer onboarding currently costs €1, companies were worried that KYC measures will shoot this cost to €5. As a solution to this problem, the use of third party service providers has been allowed for the first time ever under the law to streamline Customer Due Diligence (CDD) and KYC for crypto. 

    5- Expanded Scope of AML/KYC

    Every crypto-to-crypto exchange and trading platform must devise and implement proper AML/CFT procedures to eliminate the threat of crypto-related crimes. This should include the following CDD processes:

    •  Authentication of the end-user’s ID documents 
    • Identity verification of the customers and the crypto firm owners
    • Identification of the true nature of the business
    • Ongoing monitoring of the customers and their transactions
    • Screening of customers against sanctions and criminal watch lists
    • EDD (Enhanced Due Diligence) for high-risk entities

    How can Firms Comply With Updated Crypto Regulation in France?

    Crypto firms in France that fail to comply with KYC and AML regulations are punishable under the law with a fine of up to €5 million. Such fines directly impact a company’s bottom line and lead to a tarnished brand image. Compliance with the updated crypto regulation is, therefore, necessary. 

    Any crypto firm that aims to stay compliant, needs to devise its own set of policies and procedures for the implementation of KYC requirements. This includes processes such as identity verification, document authentication, and more – all of which can be easily implemented through third party ID verification service providers. These IDV providers ensure that companies stay compliant by utilizing AI-powered technologies. The same solutions can also be used for AML compliance to automatically screen every onboarded customer against global sanctions, criminal watch lists, and Politically Exposed Persons (PEP) lists. 

    Global IDV providers such as Shufti provide the added benefit of low compliance costs and rapid customer onboarding through the use of biometric technology for customer identity verification. 

    Suggested Read: Avoiding Billion-dollar Fraud & Non-Compliance Costs With Shufti

    Final Thoughts

    For the cryptocurrency industry to sustain itself despite the countless controversies regarding it, regulatory obligations are necessary. AML and KYC requirements are implemented for the crypto sector as they pose a disincentive for criminals, allowing companies to acquire a clean customer base. With the implementation of the updated crypto regulations, French crypto firms can encourage the use of digital assets in the country, paving the way for other opportunities within this emerging sector. 

    Need more information on AML/CFT compliance? Get in touch with our experts.

    Related Posts

    Blog

    A Go-To Guide to Proof of Address Verification in 2024

    Customer identity verification is significant in today’s digital world – from buying produc...

    A Go-To Guide to Proof of Address Verification in 2024 Explore More

    Blog

    Pension Fund Fraud and the Role of Employee Identity Verification

    Old age is the scariest phase of life for everyone and organisations find it a big challenge to c...

    Pension Fund Fraud and the Role of Employee Identity Verification Explore More

    Blog

    AUSTRAC’s ML/TF Risk Assessment Report on Major Banks [Part 1]

    Back in September 2018, the Australian Government provided AUD 5.175 million funding to AUSTRAC f...

    AUSTRAC’s ML/TF Risk Assessment Report on Major Banks [Part 1] Explore More

    Blog, Online Marketplace

    New Rules by the UK Gambling Commission and Their Impact

    The UK Gambling Commission announced new gambling rules earlier this year to make gambling safer ...

    New Rules by the UK Gambling Commission and Their Impact Explore More

    Blog

    AML Compliance – Eliminating Financial Crimes in FinTech Firms

    The FinTech industry is growing rapidly across various sectors with investments and large-scale a...

    AML Compliance – Eliminating Financial Crimes in FinTech Firms Explore More

    Blog

    Know Your Player – Preventing Identity Fraud in Sports Events

    The ongoing trend of globalizing sports activities since the last few decades has resulted in a l...

    Know Your Player – Preventing Identity Fraud in Sports Events Explore More

    Blog

    The Ultimate Guide to Central Know Your Customer (CKYC)

    Due to the increasing rates of financial fraud, keeping detailed data on each client is more impo...

    The Ultimate Guide to Central Know Your Customer (CKYC) Explore More

    Blog

    Shahid Hanif’s Take on Shufti’s Five-Year Journey of Winning the Fight Against Fraud

    The financial sector constantly faces new and emerging challenges in fighting sophisticated fraud...

    Shahid Hanif’s Take on Shufti’s Five-Year Journey of Winning the Fight Against Fraud Explore More

    Blog

    The Digital Black Market for Identity Data

    The collection, purchase, or trade of customer data is big business. Unless organizations and ind...

    The Digital Black Market for Identity Data Explore More

    Blog

    Top 5 Digital Banking Trends to Look Out for in 2022

    2021 was fundamentally geared towards surviving the pandemic and its aftermaths. The pandemic-acc...

    Top 5 Digital Banking Trends to Look Out for in 2022 Explore More

    Anti Money Laundering, Blog, Financial Crime / AML

    US Treasury opposes European Commission AML Country List

    The European Commission has adopted a new list of 23 countries which lack appropriate framework f...

    US Treasury opposes European Commission AML Country List Explore More

    Blog

    Mobile Banking Adoption and the Rising Fraud Concerns Worldwide

    People have been repeatedly talking about the COVID-driven digital “transformation” in the bankin...

    Mobile Banking Adoption and the Rising Fraud Concerns Worldwide Explore More

    Blog

    ID Verification – What new KYC Services Shufti launched in 2018?

    Shufti started 2018 with an aim to fight the menace of digital fraud, identity theft, and onl...

    ID Verification – What new KYC Services Shufti launched in 2018? Explore More

    Blog

    Money Laundering & Cybercrime on DeFi Platforms – Ensuring KYC/AML Compliance

    As a result of rapid digitization and the emergence of decentralized services, the financial mark...

    Money Laundering & Cybercrime on DeFi Platforms – Ensuring KYC/AML Compliance Explore More

    Blog

    Five Things you Need to Know About Shufti’s Digital Identity Verification

    The growing digital fraud, stringent KYC and AML regulations put in place, and the increasing bur...

    Five Things you Need to Know About Shufti’s Digital Identity Verification Explore More

    Blog

    Stronger Global Identity Coverage… Where it Counts

    In today’s globalized economy, businesses are striving to expand their footprint across borders. ...

    Stronger Global Identity Coverage… Where it Counts Explore More

    Blog

    Protect Your Bitcoin Business With KYC Compliance

    Even with a lot of resistance to its use as a form of currency, Bitcoin and its blockchain techno...

    Protect Your Bitcoin Business With KYC Compliance Explore More

    Blog

    Shufti Marks 4 Years of Streamlining KYC and AML for Global Businesses

    October 2021 marks four complete years since the launch of Shufti. As years begin to stack, t...

    Shufti Marks 4 Years of Streamlining KYC and AML for Global Businesses Explore More

    Blog

    Video KYC Verification | The Hassle-Free Process of Authenticating Identities

    Digital onboarding these days is getting tougher for firms working and managing their business op...

    Video KYC Verification | The Hassle-Free Process of Authenticating Identities Explore More

    Blog

    Building Better Customer Experiences from the Inside Out

    ”I don’t really think that it’s possible to deliver an excellent customer experience without havi...

    Building Better Customer Experiences from the Inside Out Explore More

    Blog

    FinTech and FinCrime – The Global Regulatory Landscape

    Also known as financial technology, FinTech is now among the fastest-growing industries. This sec...

    FinTech and FinCrime – The Global Regulatory Landscape Explore More

    Blog

    SEPA Instant Credit Transfer Schemes – Disrupting the Financial Sector in 2023

    There is no denying the fact that the financial industry has vital importance in the contemporary...

    SEPA Instant Credit Transfer Schemes – Disrupting the Financial Sector in 2023 Explore More

    Blog

    The Benefits and Best Practices of Deploying Facial Recognition in the Workplace

    With the rapid shift towards digitisation, keeping track of the most recent technological develop...

    The Benefits and Best Practices of Deploying Facial Recognition in the Workplace Explore More

    Blog

    Why Payment Processors Need Mobile ID Verification?

    One of the many by-products of progressing technology is payment systems that have cropped up ove...

    Why Payment Processors Need Mobile ID Verification? Explore More

    Blog

    Facial Recognition in UAE to Protect Private and Government Sector

    Continuous developments in the world of technology have led to many innovative solutions like fac...

    Facial Recognition in UAE to Protect Private and Government Sector Explore More

    Blog

    Intelligent Security Systems & Digital ID Verification

    Most technology solutions present a compromise between convenience and security to their users. I...

    Intelligent Security Systems & Digital ID Verification Explore More

    Blog, Online Marketplace

    7 Identity theft protection practices for Business and Recuriters

    Identity theft is now no more a cause of concern for the individual users only as corporations an...

    7 Identity theft protection practices for Business and Recuriters Explore More

    Blog

    Fintech 2021 – A Brief Insight of Global KYC Regulations

    Financial services are among the most heavily regulated sectors in the world, and the number one ...

    Fintech 2021 – A Brief Insight of Global KYC Regulations Explore More

    Blog

    Fighting Deepfakes with Fool-Proofed Identity Verification Systems: How Shufti Can Help

    Undoubtedly, 21st century is the most innovative time period in human history. With every passing...

    Fighting Deepfakes with Fool-Proofed Identity Verification Systems: How Shufti Can Help Explore More

    Blog

    Electronic Identity Verification | Forecasts and Predictions

    Identities change as the world goes more digital. As more activities, like banking, socialising, ...

    Electronic Identity Verification | Forecasts and Predictions Explore More

    Blog

    Pandora Papers Pushing Global Authorities to Bridge Regulatory Gaps

    The Pandora Papers have made headlines for not only exposing offshore dealings of the rich but al...

    Pandora Papers Pushing Global Authorities to Bridge Regulatory Gaps Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC, Online Marketplace

    How KYC for ICOs can Make Cryptocurrency Great Again?

    Give people a mode of money transaction free from banks. That was the thought behind cryptocurren...

    How KYC for ICOs can Make Cryptocurrency Great Again? Explore More

    Blog

    AML Compliance in the UK’s Financial Sector – What Shufti Offers

    The UK is known in the global financial paradigm for being both a financial hub and the dirty mon...

    AML Compliance in the UK’s Financial Sector – What Shufti Offers Explore More

    Blog

    Financial Institutions and Prevailing Crimes – How Shufti’s AML Screening Solution can Help

    The year 2021 has been a year of two halves, the first businesses and individuals were dealing wi...

    Financial Institutions and Prevailing Crimes – How Shufti’s AML Screening Solution can Help Explore More

    Blog

    Evaluating the Potential of Digital ID Verification Systems in 2022

    Identity fraud and synthetic identities are skyrocketing and collectively account for a loss of ​...

    Evaluating the Potential of Digital ID Verification Systems in 2022 Explore More

    Blog

    The US Corporate Transparency Act – What’s New? [December 2022]

    Generally, small to medium businesses in the US continue operating without disclosing the benefic...

    The US Corporate Transparency Act – What’s New? [December 2022] Explore More

    Blog, Reg Tech

    How does CDD effectively help with AML Compliance?

    CDD or customer due diligence in the banking sector and other financial firms is an important asp...

    How does CDD effectively help with AML Compliance? Explore More

    Blog

    Understanding Facial Identification: Face Verification vs. Face Recognition

    Many terms in the biometrics field are used interchangeably, particularly regarding facial verifi...

    Understanding Facial Identification: Face Verification vs. Face Recognition Explore More

    Blog

    Simplify Payment Processes with Biometric Authentication

    A developing trend that is altering how customers handle their money is the use of biometric auth...

    Simplify Payment Processes with Biometric Authentication Explore More

    Blog

    Safeguarding Financial Operations with Transaction Monitoring and AML Screening

    To enhance the power of anti-money laundering regulation, transaction monitoring systems have evo...

    Safeguarding Financial Operations with Transaction Monitoring and AML Screening Explore More

    Blog

    Here’s to 2021 – NFTs Conquering the Crypto Market

    From DeFi’s in 2020 to NFTs in 2021, a lot has changed in the crypto market. Since the beginning ...

    Here’s to 2021 – NFTs Conquering the Crypto Market Explore More

    Blog

    Instant Client Onboarding with E-KYC Screening

    Technological Advancement and its Influence The world needs to constantly evolve in order to surv...

    Instant Client Onboarding with E-KYC Screening Explore More

    Blog

    OCR Vs. ICR: The Key Differences that Businesses Need to Know

    Financial institutions need to have reliable and efficient data management. With such a system, t...

    OCR Vs. ICR: The Key Differences that Businesses Need to Know Explore More

    Blog

    Age-Verification Evasion in 2025: How Minors Outsmart Weak Age Gates — and How to Fight Back

    Introduction Minors are no longer deterred by simple “What’s your date of birth?” pop-ups. Armed ...

    Age-Verification Evasion in 2025: How Minors Outsmart Weak Age Gates — and How to Fight Back Explore More

    Artificial Intelligence, Blog, Identity & KYC

    How Biometric Technology is Shaping Up for 2020

    The verification of individuals for security measures has become remarkably important for organiz...

    How Biometric Technology is Shaping Up for 2020 Explore More

    Blog

    Age Verification: Data Privacy and User Protection

    In recent years, there’s been a lot of speculation surrounding the issue of whether or not ...

    Age Verification: Data Privacy and User Protection Explore More

    Blog

    AML Screening – Solution for Luxury Goods Market to Fight Financial Crimes

    Luxury goods and high-valued assets are frequently but not always found at the integration stage ...

    AML Screening – Solution for Luxury Goods Market to Fight Financial Crimes Explore More

    Blog

    Top 5 Countries Impacted by Money Laundering – How Shufti Helps Mitigate the Risks

    Today, money laundering has permeated almost every regulated market and has become the most occur...

    Top 5 Countries Impacted by Money Laundering – How Shufti Helps Mitigate the Risks Explore More

    Blog

    6AMLD of EU – A detailed insight

    European union’s another anti-money laundering directive is in the pipeline. And this time the un...

    6AMLD of EU – A detailed insight Explore More

    Blog

    The Future of Identity Verification: Shufti CEO Shahid Hanif on Adaptability, Innovation, and Technology Leadership

    As fraud threats become increasingly sophisticated and regulatory landscapes evolve, businesses m...

    The Future of Identity Verification: Shufti CEO Shahid Hanif on Adaptability, Innovation, and Technology Leadership Explore More

    Blog, Fraud Prevention

    6 Steps of Online Fraud Prevention for Businesses

    With the rapid development in the online retail industry and banking industry, there is an increa...

    6 Steps of Online Fraud Prevention for Businesses Explore More

    Blog

    4 Tips to avoid digital payment frauds

    Due to the contingency caused by the rapid expansion of the Covid-19, online transactions have in...

    4 Tips to avoid digital payment frauds Explore More

    Artificial Intelligence, Blog, Fraud Prevention

    The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Future Of Financial Fraud Detection

    Until a few years ago Artificial Intelligence seemed like a thing from sci-fi movies. The whole c...

    The Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Future Of Financial Fraud Detection Explore More

    Blog, Online Marketplace

    How crucial is AML/CFT Compliance for Hong Kong based Businesses?

    Hong Kong serves as financial hub of trade and financial industry especially due to its strategic...

    How crucial is AML/CFT Compliance for Hong Kong based Businesses? Explore More

    Blog

    A Brief Insight into Netherlands’ Cryptocurrency Regulations

    Just like other European countries, the Netherlands is also a notable financial center making it ...

    A Brief Insight into Netherlands’ Cryptocurrency Regulations Explore More

    Blog

    AML Compliance in the FinTech Industry’s Uncertain Regulatory Landscape

    Financial technology (FinTech) exists to improve and automate the delivery of economical services...

    AML Compliance in the FinTech Industry’s Uncertain Regulatory Landscape Explore More

    Blog

    AML Compliance for Money Service Businesses (MSBs) – How Shufti’s AML Screening Helps

    Money laundering has spread like a virus in today’s globalized society. Banks and other fin...

    AML Compliance for Money Service Businesses (MSBs) – How Shufti’s AML Screening Helps Explore More

    Blog

    Combatting Identity Theft with KYC Verification – A Risk-Based Approach in Online Shopping

    The proliferation of online stores has radically transformed how people shop and greatly affected...

    Combatting Identity Theft with KYC Verification – A Risk-Based Approach in Online Shopping Explore More

    Blog, Online Marketplace

    How AI is Transforming Fraud Prevention in the Healthcare Industry

    KYC For HealthCare: Fraud is so common that there is hardly any industry that hasn’t had to bear ...

    How AI is Transforming Fraud Prevention in the Healthcare Industry Explore More

    Blog

    Fighting Prevailing Crimes in Gaming Industry with Shufti’s Anti-Money Laundering Screening Solution

    Modern gaming is the most recent evolution of this industry that has become the attraction of glo...

    Fighting Prevailing Crimes in Gaming Industry with Shufti’s Anti-Money Laundering Screening Solution Explore More

    Blog

    ID Verification – What new KYC Services Shufti launched in 2018?

    Shufti started 2018 with an aim to fight the menace of digital fraud, identity theft, and onl...

    ID Verification – What new KYC Services Shufti launched in 2018? Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    Know Your Patient: Anti-Fraud Pill for Healthcare Industry

    Know Your Patient: The healthcare industry is more prone to data breaches than any other industry...

    Know Your Patient: Anti-Fraud Pill for Healthcare Industry Explore More

    Blog

    Know Your Patient (KYP) | 4 KYP Compliance Trends for 2024

    Nothing is more constant than change, and this is never more evident than in the Know Your Patien...

    Know Your Patient (KYP) | 4 KYP Compliance Trends for 2024 Explore More

    Blog

    Mounting Cases of Money Laundering through Digital Currencies in 2021

    Even though cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin are increasing rapidly, yet the...

    Mounting Cases of Money Laundering through Digital Currencies in 2021 Explore More

    Blog

    Enhanced Digital Security with Facial Recognition and Liveness detection

    The increasing number of cyber-attacks and online fraud calls out for strong security measures. U...

    Enhanced Digital Security with Facial Recognition and Liveness detection Explore More

    Blog, Identity & KYC

    4 Know Your Customer (KYC) Strategies to adopt in 2019

    Digital fraud haunted the cyberspace in 2018 with the majority of online frauds originating from ...

    4 Know Your Customer (KYC) Strategies to adopt in 2019 Explore More

    Blog

    The 10 Biggest DeFi Hacks of 2022 and How Can KYC/AML Compliance Help

    The crypto industry witnessed a challenging year in 2022, marked by numerous hacks and scams, hig...

    The 10 Biggest DeFi Hacks of 2022 and How Can KYC/AML Compliance Help Explore More

    Blog

    KYC/AML Compliance – A Safeguard Against Money Laundering in the NFT Market

    The instability in the non-fungible token (NFT) sector can be seen in the record sales of $25 bil...

    KYC/AML Compliance – A Safeguard Against Money Laundering in the NFT Market Explore More

    Blog

    KYC in banking: How American banks can fight identity thieves?

    In the present globalized, fast-evolving sphere, revolutionizing KYC (Know Your Customer) is cruc...

    KYC in banking: How American banks can fight identity thieves? Explore More

    Blog

    5 Predictions on the Future of Digital KYC and eKYC

    It’s 2023. Welcome to the day and age of digital KYC verification. From multiple copies of ID car...

    5 Predictions on the Future of Digital KYC and eKYC Explore More

    Blog

    Insights Into Austria’s Biometric KYC Onboarding [2022 Updates]

    Biometric authentication is considered a convenient approach for onboarding online customers that...

    Insights Into Austria’s Biometric KYC Onboarding [2022 Updates] Explore More

    Blog

    Digital customer onboarding – Revamping onboarding process in banks

    The first impression is what counts most when it comes to customer-oriented services. Banks and f...

    Digital customer onboarding – Revamping onboarding process in banks Explore More

    Take the next steps to better security.

    Contact us

    Get in touch with our experts. We'll help you find the perfect solution for your compliance and security needs.

    Contact us

    Request demo

    Get free access to our platform and try our products today.

    Get started