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Coinbase Hit With $4.5 Million Penalty By UK FCA: Here’s Why

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Teuta Franjkovic
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Key Takeaways

  • The FCA fined Coinbase’s subsidiary, CB Payments Ltd, for insufficient anti-money laundering controls.
  • Coinbase UK allegedly engaged with thousands of high-risk clients.
  • FCA’s Financial Promotions rules have initially sparked confusion among users.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the U.K.’s financial watchdog, has fined  Coinbase’s CB Payments Limited (CBPL) 3.5 million ($4.5 million) for inadequate anti-money laundering controls.  

This is the first time the FCA has taken enforcement action against a cryptocurrency trading company.

Coinbase Subsidiary Fined £3.5m for High-Risk Crypto Clients

The FCA imposed the fine after finding that Coinbase U.K. breached a voluntary agreement by engaging with 13,416 high-risk clients.

Approximately 31% of these clients deposited around $25 million, which was then used for transactions totaling roughly $226 million across various Coinbase Group entities.

This penalty marks a significant step by the regulator, highlighting its intensified efforts to enforce effective money laundering controls within the digital assets industry.

According to Coinbase :

“We believe our investment in compliance stands out in the market as one of the highest, and that our customers should feel safe and protected when using our platforms.”

Coinbase Subsidiary Played Key Role in UK Crypto Market

While not directly handling crypto transactions, CB Payments Limited (CBPL) serves as a gateway for clients seeking to trade through other entities within the Coinbase Group. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) implemented an agreement with CBPL in October 2020, citing concerns over its financial oversight mechanisms. 

Although Coinbase does not publicly disclose its exact customer numbers in the U.K., the country is its second-largest market after the United States. Coinbase holds an e-money license and is registered with the FCA’s anti-money laundering registry for crypto businesses.

Therese Chambers, the joint executive director of enforcement and market oversight at the FCA, stated 

“The money laundering risks associated with crypto are obvious, and firms must take them seriously.”

FCA’s Financial Promotions Rules Spark Confusion and Trading Challenges

In Jan. 2024, Coinbase users in the U.K. faced a new challenge due to the latest Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Financial Promotions rules. The new rules required users to complete two new tasks, including providing additional information to continue trading on Coinbase.

This regulatory update  stems from the FCA’s final policy and handbook rules set out in Aug. 2022 aimed at consumers and firms involved with high-risk investments, including digital assets. The new regulations also introduced complexities such as a 24-hour cooling-off period, client appropriateness testing, and client categorization, all of which were to be fully implemented by Jan. 8, 2024

The changes initially confused users, as seen in discussions on social platforms like Reddit. Many users could not trade after failing the new appropriateness tests, which included a trading questionnaire. These tests, designed to assess users’ suitability for engaging in high-risk investments, proved challenging even for those familiar with digital assets. Despite attempts to contact Coinbase for solutions, users reported experiencing long wait times and receiving unhelpful responses.

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Teuta Franjkovic

Teuta is a seasoned writer and editor with more than 15 years of experience. She has expertise in covering macroeconomics and technology as well as the cryptocurrency and blockchain industries. She has worked for several publications as a journalist and editor, including Forbes, Bloomberg, CoinTelegraph, Coin Rivet, CoinSpeaker, VRWorld and Arcane Bear. Teuta began her professional career in 2005, working as a lifestyle writer at Cosmopolitan in Croatia. From there, she branched out to several other publications, covering mainly business and the economy. She then turned her attention to the world of cryptocurrency and blockchain, believing that crypto is among the most important inventions in the history of humanity. Her involvement in fintech began in 2014 and she has since lent her expertise in writing, editing and gathering information about the world of crypto, blockchain, NFTs and Web3. An all-round news hound, mentor, editor, and writer, Teuta enjoys teamwork and good communication. She holds a WSET2 diploma and has a thing for chablis, punkrock music and shoes. She also holds a double MA in Political science and Entrepreneurship.
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