Cryptocurrencies and National Security: The Case of Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing
/This Article reviews the anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) framework and its application to cryptocurrencies. Then, it presents case studies demonstrating the important contributions that the AML/CFT toolkit has made to countries’ security. The case studies include the seizing of cryptocurrency used by terrorists for fundraising, revealing the identity of attackers in a ransomware cyberattack, and arresting terrorists who were paid through cryptocurrency and tracked before completing their planned attack. The Article concludes with recommendations for further actions that the global community, individual countries, and the private sector should take to better tackle AML/CFT risks, including unaddressed cryptocurrency-related challenges posed by decentralized systems.
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