FATF Launches Major AML Review for Top Crypto Hubs—Results Due June 2027

• Global watchdog initiates enforcement review of crypto AML rules in key jurisdictions, with first findings set for June 2027.
• FATF identifies 83% Travel Rule adoption, but enforcement remains weak in 55 out of 91 jurisdictions.

On November 3, 2026, TokenPost reported that the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) launched a targeted review into enforcement of anti-money-laundering (AML) rules in major cryptocurrency hubs. The FATF unveiled this initiative after its plenary session in Paris from October 28 to 30, led for the first time by President Giles Thomson.

The FATF is focusing on jurisdictions with significant virtual asset service provider (VASP) activity, particularly where governments have enacted AML laws but lack consistent enforcement. The review aims to pinpoint and address enforcement gaps that pose systemic risks to the international financial system.

The first report from this review is expected in June 2027, with an update scheduled for October 2027. While FATF has not disclosed which jurisdictions are under review, it stated that the process relies on objective criteria such as the scale of virtual asset business relative to each country’s prior FATF assessments.

This review comes in response to FATF’s July 2026 update, which revealed that 83% of surveyed jurisdictions had adopted the “Travel Rule,” requiring virtual asset providers to collect sender and recipient information during crypto transactions. However, out of 91 jurisdictions with such laws, 55 had yet to supervise or enforce these requirements.

FATF’s analysis flagged enforcement gaps in large crypto markets as a global risk. Regulators warned that these gaps allow unlicensed crypto operators to flourish, increase cross-border money laundering, and undermine coordinated international efforts against illicit finance.

Some jurisdictions immediately took action based on these findings. Spain now requires identification for all crypto ATM users, while Türkiye, though it passed its mutual evaluation, remains under “enhanced follow-up” due to a growing backlog of financial crime cases.

The FATF has not published a list of affected countries but stated it will intensify monitoring of targeted jurisdictions and report findings rapidly. The goal is to ensure governments quickly close compliance gaps identified in the review.

References: TokenPost, November 3, 2026; KuCoin News, November 3, 2026; Cryptopolitan, November 3, 2026.