When you hear crypto compliance, the set of legal and operational rules that crypto businesses must follow to operate legally. Also known as crypto regulation, it's not about slowing things down—it's about keeping exchanges from turning into gambling dens where your money vanishes overnight. This isn't just a U.S. or EU thing. From Korea's licensed exchanges to Nigeria's messy transition, crypto compliance decides whether you can trade, withdraw, or even open an account.
Think of it like a driver's license for crypto. You don't need one to hold Bitcoin in your wallet, but if you want to use an exchange, you're walking into a space where governments demand proof of who you are, where your money came from, and how you're using it. That's AML, Anti-Money Laundering rules that force exchanges to check users' identities and flag suspicious activity. Also known as KYC, it's why you had to upload your ID to Binance or Kraken. Skip it, and you're stuck with unregulated platforms that vanish when regulators show up. Then there's crypto taxes, how governments track your trades and demand a cut when you sell, swap, or earn crypto. Also known as crypto reporting, it's the reason some traders move abroad—because in places like Germany or Portugal, holding crypto for a year can cut your tax bill to zero. And let's not forget crypto exchange rules, the specific licensing and operational standards that exchanges must meet to stay open. In South Korea, COREDAX only works if you're a local resident with a bank account. In the UK, HM Treasury now requires every exchange to be supervised by the FCA. In Vietnam, exchanges need $379 million in capital just to apply—and none have passed yet. These aren't random rules. They're responses to scams like CreekEx, Woof Finance, and Armoney—platforms that promised easy gains but left users with nothing but empty wallets.
What you'll find in these posts isn't a list of laws—it's a map of real-world consequences. You'll see how Nigerian traders navigate inconsistent enforcement, how Bangladeshis use VPNs to bypass blocks, and why Venezuela's state mining program feels more like a forced labor scheme than a policy. You'll learn why KCCSwap has no airdrop (because no one's licensed to run one), and why Project Quantum and TajCoin are red flags before you even check the price. This isn't theory. It's what happens when compliance meets reality—and why ignoring it can cost you more than just a trade.
18 April
OFAC sanctions have severely restricted Iranian access to global crypto exchanges by blocking wallet addresses and forcing platforms to comply. Iranians now rely on risky P2P trades and shadow exchanges, while regulators use blockchain analytics to track evasion.
