White Paper of Aml Bitcoin (Amlbit) and Its Business Model
White Paper of Aml Bitcoin (Amlbit) and Its Business Model
i
Abstract
The worldwide frenzy driving mass involvement in cryptocurrencies has drawn attention
both to the exciting positive features of digital currencies, as well as those aspects that
could hamper future expansion and development. Primarily, governments across the globe
expressed concern that anonymous cryptocurrency – while innovative and auguring a new
wave of future technology – serves as a medium of exchange that facilitates terrorism and
criminal activity. AML BitCoin solves this concern and creates a platform for integration of
digital currencies and the economy.
NAC Foundation, LLC (“NAC”) created AML BitCoin and its predecessor digital currency, the
Aten Coin. Both coins contain the innovative safety and compliance features developed by
NAC. AML BitCoin also provides a platform for approved third parties to utilize the AML
BitCoin technology. AML BitCoin rests on a privately regulated public blockchain that
facilitates AML-KYC (anti-money laundering – ‘know your customer’) compliance and
identifies criminals associated with illicit transactions, while maintaining and strengthening
the privacy protections for legitimate users.
AML BitCoin was created with anti-money laundering, anti-terrorism and theft-resistant
properties built into the code of the coin, and as a result, it is compliant with a host of laws,
including but not limited to: Anti-Money Laundering (AML), Counter Financing of Terrorism
(CFT), Anti-Fraud and Financial Crimes (AFF), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), Bank
Secrecy Act (BSA), USA PATRIOT Act and the FACT Act.
In addition, NAC will utilize a biometric identification system to verify owners of wallets that
hold the AML BitCoin. This will provide additional security and safety features for
ownership and use of the AML BitCoin (For more information on the DTN, please visit
www.digitalidentitytrustnetwork.com)
The new AML BitCoin platform will also allow pre-approved persons and entities (but tied
to an individual who has a certified digital identity profile) to utilize NAC’s privately
regulated public blockchain.
AML BitCoin will be a modified form of an “app coin” in that the underlying protocol
includes AML compliance and only persons who obtain a certified digital personal identity
can obtain and use a wallet to hold the AML BitCoin. But, there will be no functional
business based on the AML BitCoin and no payout of business revenue from any business
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to AML BitCoin holders. Any possible payout would derive from speculation by and under
the control of the AML BitCoin holder.
AML Tokens (ATK) will be offered in a public sale on October 1, 2017. These tokens will not
include monitoring or detecting of suspicious activities, or any of the other features of the
AML BitCoin. Once NAC has completed and activated its features, AML BitCoin will replace
the ATK and ATK holders will be able to exchange the ATK for AML BitCoins on a 1:1 ratio. In
exchanging the AML Tokens for AML BitCoins, all owners will be required to have a certified
digital identity as stated above and described in more detail below.
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Table of Contents
1. NAC Foundation, LLC and Anti-Money Laundering Cryptocurrency
1.1. Meet the Team
1.2. NAC Advisors
1.3. Legal Advisors
2. Business Model of AML BitCoin (AMLBit) Currency
2.1. Overview
2.2. AML BitCoin- A Successor of Aten Coin
2.3 Identity Verification: The Digital Identity Trust Network
2.4. AML BitCoin/AML Tokens Pre-Sale
3. Aten Coin – First Cryptocurrency Designed for Anti-Money Laundering, Theft
Resistance, and Government Compliance
3.1. Government Compliance & The Creation of AML BitCoin – An AML and KYC
Compliant Cryptocurrency
3.2. Privately Regulated, Public Blockchain
3.3. Legal Identity-linked Credential Authentication Protocol
3.4. Legal Identities of AML BitCoin Senders and Receivers are Traceable While
Maintaining Privacy of AML BitCoin Users and AML-KYC Compliance
3.5. Monitoring and Detection of Financial Crime Transactions
3.6. Transaction Time-Control Option
3.7. Stoppage of Financial Crime Transactions
4. White Label Blockchain Platforms for Digital Currencies and/or Tokens
5. Cross-Border Money Transfer (Sending Remittance) Business
5.1 Low Cost Borderless Online Payment System
6. Bitcoin History
6.1. Bitcoin - The First Cryptocurrency
6.2. Limitations of BitCoin and Other Cryptocurrencies
7. Cryptocurrencies and Regulated Securities
7.1. Is Bitcoin or AML BitCoin a Security?
7.2. Are all Virtual Currencies Not Securities; what about AML BitCoin?
7.3. Is AML BitCoin a Security?
8. Forward Contacts and Options – United States Commodity Futures Trading
Commission
9. U.S. Treasury Department Regulation – FinCEN
10. Conclusion
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9 Million For Current Aten Coin Holders to Exchange for AML BitCoins
2.3.2 If the user does not have a certified digital identity associated with DTN,
then they select their Country of residence, and State or Province, and
then the user selects from a list of the approved locations where the
user can create a certified digital identity profile.
2.3.3 The user must possess two forms of their current government-issued
identification documents, such as a passport and a driver’s license.
2.3.4 User will provide a biometric scan of face, Iris, and fingerprint.
Upon completion, user will have a digital identification which can be
used to verify their identity anytime in the future utilizing the biometric
mobile application.
At the time of the Presale, ATKs only will be available for purchase.
After the Presale, AML Tokens will no longer be issued or sold directly
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by NAC, however, users may trade, sell and purchase ATKs as they
desire, including on participating exchanges and trading websites.
However, within six (6) months after the announcement that the AML
BitCoin is available, holders of the AML Tokens must exchange their
AML Tokens for AML BitCoins. After that six-month period, the AML
Token will no longer be operational. Table 3 summarizes the buying
price breakdown.
3. Aten Coin – First Cryptocurrency Designed for Anti-Money Laundering, Theft Resistance
and Government Compliance
3.1 Government Compliance and The Creation of AML BitCoin-an AML and KYC
Compliant Cryptocurrency.
In a nutshell, the dilemma presented by crypto-currencies: While, digital
currencies have been gaining acceptance as a means of transacting commerce,
these currencies have a reputation of facilitating criminal activity; and this has
been the focus of financial regulators, legislative bodies, law enforcement, and
the media. This concern has not been ill-founded, as there are notable cases of
crimes facilitated by the use of bitcoin, as discussed in more detail below.
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Laundering and Related Measures, Bank Secrecy Act Amendments and Related
Improvements, and, Currency Crimes and Protection; (c) the Money Laundering
Control Act of 1986; (d) provisions of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions
Act of 2003, also known as FACT Act or FACTA, that pertain to the prevention of
identity theft; (e) requirements related to economic and trade sanctions
administered and enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets and Controls (OFAC)
within the United States Department of Treasury; (f) the Bank Secrecy Act, aka
BSA or the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, which requires the
reporting of certain transactions to the government.
The implementation of these features of the Aten Coin and the integration into
the white label AML / KYC Platform gives birth to the innovation of AML BitCoin.
To prevent criminal and terrorist use of digital currency, NAC uses an invention
(patent pending publication numbers: WO 2016156954 A1, EP3073670A1,
US20160283941) that permits the tracing and tracking of the identities of senders
and receivers of a cryptocurrency when necessary to enable NAC to discover and
prevent the use of the AML BitCoin for an illegal activity, as more particularly
described below.
Recently there has been discussion of how to modify and make use of the
bitcoin’s blockchain technology. For example, The Bank of England has said that
central banks are looking at ways to implement "hybrid systems" involving
distributed ledger technology of the type currently used to record bitcoin
transactions. Besides “Public Blockchain”, “Private Blockchain” and “Consortium
Blockchain” have been created. The operation of a private/consortium blockchain,
including transaction verification, will be controlled solely by either a private
entity or a group of private entities. These approaches, however, do not allow for
the decentralization of the transaction verification process; transaction records
on a private/consortium blockchain can be easily manipulated or changed by the
entities controlling the blockchain, resulting in a loss of public confidence of the
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(1) All AML BitCoin addresses are multi-signature addresses composed of a pair
of public key and private key from NAC and at least one pair of public key
and private key from an AML BitCoin user;
(2) All AML BitCoin addresses can only be created by someone who has a
certified digital identity that was created by a process using biometrics; and
(3) Without NAC’s authorization, no one can use any AML BitCoin address to
transfer AML BitCoins that are recorded (stored) at AML BitCoin addresses.
In order to obtain authorization from NAC, each AML BitCoin user must have
created a certified digital identity and must have agreed to comply with the
terms and conditions on the AML BitCoin and related websites. This registration
process assures that each potential AML BitCoin user will have presented valid
documentation to confirm their legal identity. Once an AML BitCoin user has
successfully registered in NAC’s system, they will be provided with an AML
BitCoin ID, and only then will they be allowed to create their private AML BitCoin
credentials to create an AML BitCoin address with which to conduct AML BitCoin
transactions.
The anonymity of the user and their digital address is maintained, as the
passwords of AML BitCoin credentials are only known to the AML BitCoin user
who created them and they are encrypted in NAC’s system. No one from NAC
would access or know the user’s unique passwords for AML BitCoin credentials,
with the limited exception discussed below.
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3.4 Legal Identities of AML BitCoin Senders and Receivers are Traceable While
Maintaining Privacy of AML BitCoin Users and AML-KYC Compliance
In the typical transaction process, NAC’s authentication system will automatically
provide authorization to any request for address generation or transaction
creation upon the receipt of a valid AML BitCoin credential. Therefore, generally,
AML BitCoin will function similarly to Bitcoin, except that AML BitCoin
transactions are faster, cheaper and more secure. All transaction data is available
in the AML BitCoin’s blockchain, which is open to the public. As is the case with
Bitcoin, the public will not know the identities of AML BitCoin senders and
receivers; however, unlike Bitcoin, the actual identities of the senders and
receivers are maintained in NAC’s system. Using AML BitCoin Credentials and
AML BitCoin IDs, NAC can trace the legal identities of any senders and receivers
when necessary. This process enables AML BitCoin compliance with AML-KYC
laws. NAC may reveal identities of senders and receivers associated with any
transactions that rise to the legal definition of suspicious activities, such as
association with money laundering, hacking or other illegal activities, while
simultaneously maintaining privacy of AML BitCoin users. Senders and receivers
of all transactions can be revealed; thus, any thieves or hackers who steal AML
BitCoins can be easily traced and tracked by retrieving personal identity(s) of the
receiver(s) from the client information database maintained by NAC. Moreover,
the credential authentication mechanism behind AML BitCoin allows a user to
change their credentials to prevent the transfer of AML BitCoins from a stolen
wallet. As a result, NAC’s innovations can thwart the theft of AML BitCoin.
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Thus, the systems innovated by NAC for the AML BitCoin, provide a real solution
to the lack of AML-KYC compliance by Bitcoin and various alternative currencies.
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Table 4. NAC’s tentative time-lock rule and examples for duration of time-lock
AML BitCoin (AMLBits) Time-lock
0 – 1000 AML 0 minute
> 1000 AML 1 minutes per every additional 25 AML
Example 1: 999 AML 0 minute
Example 2: 1,025 AML 1 minutes
Example 3: 1,100 AML 4 minutes
Example 4: 10,000 AML 6 hrs.
(10,000 – 1,000) /25 = 360 minutes
Example 5: 100,000 AML 2.75 days
(100,000 – 1,000) /25 = 3960 minutes
Example 6: 500,000 AML 13.86 days
(500,000 – 1,000) /25 = 19,960 minutes
Example 7: 1,000,000 AML 27.75 days
(1,000,000 – 1,000)/25 = 39,960 minutes
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Figure 1. The Cost of Sending and Receiving Money [Image source: The World Bank]
The global average cost of sending remittances was 7.32% as of June 2017 (Figure 1).
Blockchain technology facilitates cross-border transmission of cryptocurrency at
extremely low costs. By introducing AML BitCoin into the international remittance
industry, NAC plans to set-up a highly competitive AML-KYC compliant business for
cross-border money transfer for low fees.
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BitCoin.
6. Bitcoin History
Invented in 2008, Bitcoin is the first cryptographic-based electronic money. It is also
referred to as the first cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, are a new type of
digital currency, and are known as “decentralized digital currencies.” Bitcoin is not only
virtual money, but also a payment system composed of a decentralized peer-to-peer
transaction network for recording and verifying money transactions. There is no central
point of control over the Bitcoin supply and transaction verifications.
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Their values are based solely on the faith and credit of individual
cryptocurrencies. For example, the value of Bitcoin is based solely on
the faith and credit of the Bitcoin decentralized transaction network,
and the value is dictated primarily by the exchange market. The limited
supply of Bitcoin (e.g. 21 million coins) has created a public perception
that the value of Bitcoin will increase when demand increases. The
transaction network of Bitcoin is maintained by new block generation
(i.e. coin mining) by the public in a decentralized manner. The value of
Bitcoin reflects the cost of the computational power contributed by the
public in new block generation and transaction verification. When
Bitcoin is no longer mined, the transaction network stops and the value
of the Bitcoin can become zero.
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at least 19,000 BTC (worth about US$ 5 million) was stolen. In August
2016, 119,756 Bitcoins (roughly equivalent to US$ 72 million) of
customer funds were stolen from the Bitfinex, the largest Bitcoin
exchange by volume at that time. On May 12, 2017, there was a global
wide-spread infection of a ransomware known as "WannaCry".
“WannaCry” encrypted the files on computer systems, and hackers
demanded a Bitcoin ransom in exchange for the decryption of files. On
July 4, 2017, it was reported that millions of US dollars in Ethereum
were stolen from the Bithumb, which is the largest Bitcoin and Ether
exchange in South Korea by volume. On July 18, 2017, US$ 7 million of
Ethereum was stolen from the CoinDash ICO. On July 19, 2017, US$ 30
million of Ethereum was stolen from many Ethereum wallets. Although
the hackers/thieves must transfer the stolen Bitcoins or ethers (i.e.
Ethereum tokens) to their wallet addresses, the identities of most of
these hackers and thieves cannot be identified.
1
See e.g. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Trendon T. Shavers and Bitcoin Savings and Trust, Civil
Action No. Civil Action No. 4:13-CV-416, E.D. Texas Sherman Division (SEC Litigation Release No. 23090,
September 22, 2014); Bats BZX Exchange, Inc.; Order Disapproving a Proposed Rule Change, as Modified by
Amendments No. 1 and 2, to BZX Rule 14.11(e)(4), Commodity-Based Trust Shares, to List and Trade Shares
Issued by the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust, SEC Release No. 34-80206, March 10, 2017).
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2
SEC v. Cavanaugh, 155 F.3d 129, 133 (2d Cir. 1988),
3
17 CFR §§500-508.
4
17 CFR §502.
5
17 CFR §144.
6
15 U.S.C. §77d(a).
7
See e.g. 7 Tx. Admin. Code. 139.14.
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8
15 U.S.C. §78o(a).
9
15 U.S.C. §80b-3.
10
15 U.S.C. §80a-1 et seq.
11
“Report of Investigation Pursuant to Section 21(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934: The Dao,” SEC
Release No. 34-81207 (July 25, 2017), pp. 16-17 (found at
https://www.sec.gov/litigation/investreport/34-81207.pdf).
12
See e.g. 15 U.S.C. §77q(a); 15 U.S.C. §78j; 17 CFR §240.10b-5.
13
What is Bitcoin? Bitcoin.org FAQs, https://bitcoin.org/en/faq#what-is-bitcoin (visited August 31, 2017).
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AML BitCoin will function similarly. AML BitCoin will have a public
ledger as an open/transparent blockchain. For the public ledger, the
authenticity of each transaction will be protected by digital signatures
corresponding to the sending addresses, allowing users to have control
over sending AML BitCoins from their own AML BitCoin addresses
(subject to AML compliance). Further, participants can process
transactions using the computing power of specialized hardware and
are awarded AML BitCoins for such services.
14
How does Bitcoin Work? Bitcoin.org FAQs, https://bitcoin.org/en/faq#what-is-bitcoin (visited August 31,
2017).
15
Landreth Timber Co., v Landreth, 471 U.S. 681, 686 (1985).
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16
Reves v. Ernst & Young, 494 US 56, 62-63 (1990).
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17
Reves at 62-63.
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First, Bitcoin and AML BitCoin will be purchased for money. But, it
is not quite an “investment” as the issuer will have no conditional
or unconditional obligation to pay. Bitcoin and AML BitCoin are
instruments that can be purchased for speculation (like baseball
cards,19 tulips,20 etc.) or as currency for payment for goods and
services. Bitcoin and AML BitCoin will not pay a return on
investment in the form of interest, dividends or distributions. Any
return on AML BitCoin purchased in the initial coin offering or
mined will not relate to the operation of any business by someone
other than the purchaser or derive from the operation of any
other security. In that sense, AML BitCoin is not an investment.
18
United Housing Foundation, Inc. v. Forman, 421 US 837, 852-853 (1975)/
19
See “The Baseball-Card Bubble” The Economist, December 17, 2014 found at
https://www.economist.com/news/christmas-specials/21636506-how-childrens-hobby-turned-classic-financi
al-mania-baseball-card-bubble
20
See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip_mania
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21
Milnarik v. M-S Commodities, Inc., 457 F.2d 274 (7th Cir. 1972), cert. denied 409 U.S. 887, Hirk v.
Agri-Research Council, Inc., 561 F.2d 96, 99-102 (7th Cir. 1977); Curran v. Merrill Lynch, 622 F.2d 216, 221-225
(6th Cir. 1980, aff’d on other grounds 456 U.S. 353 (1982); Salcer v. Merrill Lynch, 682 F.2d 459 (3d Cir. 1982);
Hart v. Pulte Homes of Michigan Corp., 735 F.2d 1001 (6th Cir. 1984); Secon Service Systems v. St. Joseph Bank
& Trust, 855 F.2d 406, 411 (7th Cir. 1988); Deckebach v. La Vida Charters, Inc. of Florida, 867 F.2d 278, 281-284
th
(6 Cir. 1989); Newmyer v. Philatelic Leasing, Ltd., 888 F.3d 385, 395-397 (6th Cir. 1989) cert. denied sub nom.,
Trager, Glass & Co., v. Newmyer, 495 U.S. 930, Wals v. Fox Hills Development Corp., 24 F.3d 1016 (7th Cir.
st
1995); SEC v. Lauer, 52 F.3d 667 (7th Cir. 1995), SEC v. SG Ltd., 265 F.3d 42, 49 (1 Cir. 2001).
22
This is to be distinguished from business entities that use pooled funds to purchase Bitcoins – which have
drawn SEC scrutiny. See Securities and Exchange Commission v. Trendon T. Shavers and Bitcoin Savings and
Trust, Civil Action No. Civil Action No. 4:13-CV-416, E.D. Texas Sherman Division (SEC Litigation Release No.
23090, September 22, 2014); Bats BZX Exchange, Inc.; Order Disapproving a Proposed Rule Change, as
Modified by Amendments No. 1 and 2, to BZX Rule 14.11(e)(4), Commodity-Based Trust Shares, to List and
Trade Shares Issued by the Winklevoss Bitcoin Trust, SEC Release No. 34-80206, March 10, 2017).
23
“(T)o satisfy the "common enterprise" element of Howey, plaintiffs must be able to show that
funds were pooled and that the fortunes of each investor in the pool were tied to the success of the
overall venture.” Rolo v. City Investing Co. Liquidating Trust, 845 F. Supp. 182, 236 (D.N.J. 1993).
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AML compliance feature of the AML BitCoin does not impact the
pooling of purchaser funds or the running of an enterprise that
will pay a return on investment.
24
SEC v. Koscot Interplanetary, Inc., 497 F.2d 473, 478-479 (5th Cir. 1974); SEC v. Continental Commodities
Corp., 497 F. 2d 516, 520-523 (5th Cir. 1974); Cameron v. Outdoor Resorts of America, Inc., 608 F.2d 187, 193
th
(5 Cir. 1979), modified on other grounds, 611 F.2d 105 (5th Cir. 1980); Villeneuve v. Advanced Business
Concepts Corp, 698 F.2d 1121, 1124 (11th Cir. 1983), aff’d en banc, 730 F.2d 1403 (11th Cir. 1984).
25
SEC v. Glenn W. Turner Enterprises, Inc., 474 F.2d 476, 482 n.7 (9th Cir. 1973), cert. denied 414 U.S. 821.
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26
United Housing Foundation, Inc. at 853.
27
United Housing Foundation, Inc. at 855.
28
SEC v. Edwards, 540 U.S. 389 (2004).
29
SEC v. Glenn W. Turner Enterprises, Inc. at 482.
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7.2 Are all Virtual Currencies Not Securities; what about AML BitCoin?
Whether a Virtual Currency is considered as a security depends on its nature
and its associated business model. For example, on July 25, 2017, the U.S.
SEC concluded that The DAO tokens, a digital asset, were securities.30 The
DAO (“Distributed Autonomous Organization)” is an Ethereum-based token
offered by a German blockchain startup, Slock.it. Slock.it sold The DAO
tokens to investors to collect for the purpose of funding certain projects. The
DAO token holders could vote on which projects were to be funded and a
portion of the profits from those projects were given to The DAO token
holders as a return on their investments. The SEC concluded that The DAO is
a security because the fortunes of the investors (i.e., The DAO token holders)
were directly tied to those of the promoter (i.e., Slock.it), and The DAO token
holders’ interest in business enterprise indicated a pooled investment
vehicle, and the success of the pooled investment vehicle derived from the
material efforts of those other than The Dao token holders.
AML BitCoin holders will not be presented with business ventures and no
votes will be taken. Thus, AML BitCoin’s operations and function
significantly differs from The Dao tokens. Therefore, AML BitCoin is not a
security.
30
“Report of Investigation Pursuant to Section 21(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934: The Dao,” SEC
Release No. 34-81207 (July 25, 2017), (found at https://www.sec.gov/litigation/investreport/34-81207.pdf).
31
CFTC Press Release no. pr7584-17 (July 6, 2017).
32
CFTC Press Release no. pr7592-17 (July, 24, 2017).
33
Found at https://ledgerx.com/about-ledgerx/
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Brokers engaged in swap, option or forward contracts relating to virtual currencies will
likely need to be registered with the CFTC through the National Futures Association.34
The CFTC has not yet granted approval for swap execution facilities or derivatives clearing
organizations for the retail Bitcoin market, much less for other virtual currencies. Thus, NAC
does not anticipate a market in the near future for swaps, options or forward contracts on
AML BitCoins. Moreover, NAC does not anticipate facilitating such transactions, and if such
transactions occur, NAC’s role would be solely with respect to AML compliance as to the
AML BitCoin spot transaction that may be used to settle an expiring swap, option or
forward contract.
On March 18, 2013, FinCEN issued guidance on the application of FinCEN’s regulations to
persons “administering, exchanging or using virtual currencies.”35 This guidance described
persons engaging in transactions involving virtual currency as either a “User,” “Exchanger,”
or “Administrator.”
A User “is a person who obtains virtual currency to purchase goods and services.” Users can
“obtain” virtual currency by several means, including earning, harvesting, mining, creating,
auto-generating, manufacturing or purchasing, depending on the details of the specific
virtual currency. A User is not an MSB under federal law subject to regulation by FinCEN.
Exchangers and Administrators who (1) accept and transmit a convertible virtual currency
34
17 CFR §3.10.
35
Department of Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network guidance regarding “Application of
FinCEN’s Regulations to Persons Administering, Exchanging, or Using Virtual Currencies,” FIN-2013-G001
(March 18, 2013).
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or (2) purchase or sell virtual currency for any reason are money transmitters under FinCEN
regulations as “money transmitters,” unless one of six exemptions applies. 36 According to
FinCEN, “(t)he definition of a money transmitter does not differentiate between real
currencies and convertible virtual currencies. Accepting and transmitting anything of value
that substitutes for currency makes a person a money transmitter under (FINcen)
regulations.
For a “centralized virtual currency” the Administrator of the currency repository will be a
money transmitter to the extent that it allows transfers of value between persons or from
one location to another. Likewise, Exchangers will be money transmitters if they use their
access to the centralized convertible virtual currency provided by the administrator to
accept and transmit convertible virtual currency on behalf of others to third parties,
including for payment of good and services. NAC may be seen as to exercise some of the
functions of an administrator and thus it obtained its MSB registration in 2015.
36
31 CFR §1010.100(ff)(5)(i)(A)-(F). “The term ‘money transmitter shall not include a person that only:
(A) Provides the delivery, communication, or network access services used by a money transmitter to support
money transmission services; (B) Acts as a payment processor to facilitate the purchase of, or payment of a
bill for, a good or service through a clearance and settlement system by agreement with the creditor or seller;
(C) operates a clearance and settlement system or otherwise acts as an intermediary solely between (Bank
Secrecy Act) regulated institutions. . . . ; (D) Physically transports currency, other monetary instruments, other
commercial paper, or other value that substitutes for currency as a person primarily engaged in such business,
such as an armored car, from one person to the same person at another location or to an account belonging
to the same person at a financial institution, provided that the person engaged in physical transportation has
no more than a custodial interest in the currency, other monetary instruments, other commercial paper, or
other value at any point during the transportation; (E) Provides prepaid access; or (F) Accepts and transmits
funds only integral to the sale of goods or the provision of services, other than money transmission services,
by the person who is accepting and transmitting the funds.
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FinCEN also said that convertible virtual currency administrators and exchangers will not
meet the definition of a dealer in foreign exchange because the Bank Secrecy Act requires
such dealers to be engaged in the conversion of the legal tender of two or more countries.
Virtual currencies are not legal tender.
FinCEN has enforced these provisions in high profile virtual currency cases. For example,
on July 27, 2017, the US Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
37
Department of Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network guidance regarding “Application of
FinCEN’s Regulations to Virtual Currency Mining Operations,” FIN-2014-R001 (January 30, 2014).
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(“FinCEN”) and the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California announced a
$110,003,314 civil money penalty against BTC-e a/k/a Canton Business Corporation (BTC-e)
and a $12 million penalty against Russian national Alexander Vinik for willful violations of
US Anti-money-laundering laws. Mr. Vinik was also arrested in Greece on US
money-laundering charges.38
FinCEN’s acting director stated: “We will hold accountable foreign-located money
transmitters, including virtual currency exchangers that do business in the United States
when they willfully violate U.S. anti-money laundering laws.”40
On May 5, 2015, FinCEN announced a $700,000 civil money penalty against Ripple
Labs, Inc. that went along with a $450,000 Department of Justice forfeiture that was
partially credited to the $700,000 penalty. 41 FinCEN’s director said: “Virtual currency
exchangers must bring products to market that comply with our anti-money laundering
laws,. . . Innovation is laudable but only as long as it does not unreasonably expose our
financial system to tech-smart criminals eager to abuse the latest and most complex
products.”
10. Conclusion
AML BitCoin solves the concerns raised as to the use of cryptocurrencies to facilitate
38
Fincen Press Release, July 27, 2017 found at
https://www.fincen.gov/news/news-releases/fincen-fines-btc-e-virtual-currency-exchange-110-million-facilita
ting-ransomware
39
id
40
id
41
Fincen Press Release, May 5, 2015 found at
https://www.fincen.gov/news/news-releases/fincen-fines-ripple-labs-inc-first-civil-enforcement-action-agains
t-virtual
30
Version 2.2, 4 October 2017
criminal conduct, while maintaining the beneficial features of speed of transactions and
decentralization. AML BitCoin accomplishes this by the invention of a privately regulated,
public blockchain that has anti-money laundering, anti-terrorist, and theft preventive
features. NAC also will allow pre-approved persons to use its white-labelled technology
through AML/KYC platform. These features indicate that AML BitCoin is more likely to gain
wider acceptance by governments and institutions for use of the coin in the global
economy as a reliable payment system.
The purchase of AML Tokens and AML BitCoins involves a high degree of speculation.
NAC makes no implied warranties of any kind concerning the AML Tokens or AML BitCoin.
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