EPAM Joins Effort to Assist Cryptocurrency Exchanges Comply With FATF ‘Journey Rule’

Software program and digital platform supplier EPAM Methods has joined forces with an affiliation working to assist crypto exchanges adjust to powerful guidelines laid out by the Monetary Motion Process Pressure (FATF).

EPAM, which offers digital merchandise throughout a variety of industries together with finance, joined OpenVASP as an affiliation member on Thursday, pledging to make use of its programming experience to assist crypto companies adjust to the FATF’s “Journey Rule.”

In June 2019, the FATF – a global cash laundering watchdog – up to date Advice 16 of the Journey Rule, which pertains to the way in which wherein knowledge of the sender a monetary transaction and its beneficiary is policed throughout wire transfers.

The rule change, which brought about an outcry within the crypto trade, meant that digital asset transactions at exchanges and comparable entities – “Digital Asset Service Suppliers” (VASPs) to make use of the FATF’s parlance – have been included as nicely.

In impact, transaction knowledge above a sure threshold ought to be saved by VASPs for probably sharing with different VASPs, in addition to regulators and policing authorities, bringing a big compliance burden and elevating potential privateness points. Whereas the FATF guidelines are steerage for the globe’s regulators, nations that don’t fall into line danger being blacklisted.

For the reason that 2019 ruling, crypto companies have been making an attempt to determine the best way to adjust to the Journey Rule.

The OpenVASP initiative, launched final November, seeks to supply a transparent image of FATF compliance primarily based on an open-source protocol permitting for safe communication of sender and beneficiary info for crypto-asset transactions between VASPs.

That is the place EPAM’s induction into OpenVASP might assist. The corporate goals to develop a second implementation of the protocol in Java to additional assist Digital Asset Service Suppliers (VASPs), resembling brokers, exchanges and banks, adjust to the rule.

EPAM’s implementation will comply with the C# implementation already being developed OpenVASP founding members resembling Bitcoin Suisse, Lykke, Seba Financial institution, Sygnum Financial institution, MME Authorized and Avaloq.

“With different crypto belongings turning into extra mainstream, there’s a want available in the market to align buyers, market individuals and rules to a typical normal,” stated Balazs Fejes, co-head of world enterprise at EPAM, in a press launch.

“OpenVASP offers a clear, trusted protocol for reporting crypto-asset transactions, and we’re happy to companion with the affiliation to help the open-source neighborhood and supply an revolutionary resolution to this problem,” Fejes added.