TRM Talks: FinCEN’s Crypto Strategy with Kevin O’Connor, Chief of FinCEN’s Virtual Assets Unit

For over a decade Treasury’s Financial Crime Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has been providing guidance and taking enforcement actions in the virtual assets space. In 2013 guidance FinCEN clarified that the US anti-money laundering regime applies to cryptocurrency businesses paving the way for enforcement against non-compliant virtual asset service providers. However, questions still remain. How does the BSA apply to DeFi? What role do mixers and anonymity enhancing technology play in the ecosystem?

In this TRM Talks, Ari Redbord, TRM's Global Head of Policy sits down with Kevin O’Connor, Chief of FinCEN’s Virtual Assets and Emerging Technology Section of the Enforcement and Compliance Division, to discuss FinCEN’s crypto strategy to answer these and other questions.

Click here to listen to the entire TRM Talks: FinCEN’s Crypto Strategy with Kevin O’Connor, Chief of FinCEN’s Virtual Assets Unity. And follow TRM Talks on Spotify to be the first to know about new episodes!

About Kevin O'Connor

Kevin O’Connor is Chief of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) Virtual Assets and Emerging Technology Section of the Enforcement and Compliance Division. In over ten years at FinCEN, he has led numerous complex investigations of financial institutions to ensure their compliance with U. anti-money laundering/counter-terrorist financing laws and regulations. He also serves as a co-leader of the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence’s Virtual Currency Strategic Impact Unit. He was named FinCEN’s 2018 Distinguished Employee of the Year.

From February 2013 through October 2014, Kevin served as the Special Advisor to the Under Secretary of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, where he worked on a broad range of domestic and international projects utilizing Treasury’s unique authorities and capabilities to further U.S. national security and foreign policy objectives. He received the Secretary of the Treasury’s Honor Award in October 2014, an award from the the Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence for his collaborative work on virtual currency in 2017, and the Diane K. Wade award as part of FinCEN’s top team in 2018.