• Austria’s regulator slaps new business ban on KuCoin’s EU exchange The Austrian Financial Market Authority has frozen new business at KuCoin EU months after granting the exchange a MiCA license, citing gaps in key AML and sanctions roles. • Cointelegraph in your social feed Austria’s financial regulator has prohibited KuCoin EU Exchange from conducting new business, citing breaches of internal organizational requirements around Anti-Money Laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CTF) and the observance of financial sanctions. • The Thursdaydecisionby the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) means KuCoin’s Vienna-based entity cannot onboard new customers or conclude new contracts or products within existing relationships until key compliance functions are “appropriately filled.” Sabina Liu, managing director at KuCoin EU, told Cointelegraph that two compliance professionals holding designated AML and sanctions oversight functions in Austria had “recently departed,” and that such mobility was common in “any regulated industry.” She said that KuCoin had already begun recruiting “before the notice was issued,” and had “voluntarily paused new user onboarding and certain trading activities.” Liu added that the matter remained “contained and limited in scope,” and that the exchange did not expect any “long-term structural impact on [its] European strategy.” KuCoin’s “compliance-first” Vienna hub The move comes just months after Austria granted KuCoin EU aMarkets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA)licence, allowing the Seychelles‑headquartered exchange topassport crypto asset services across the European Unionand European Economic Area. • KuCoin has positioned Vienna as its European hub, appointing the formerLondon Stock Exchange Group executive Liuas managing director in January to lead its MiCA-era expansion and pitching the bloc as a “regulatory-first” growth opportunity. • Related:How Europe’s blockchain sandbox finds innovation in regulation Liu told Cointelegraph th

Article Summaries:

  • Austria’s Financial Market Authority (FMA) has barred KuCoin EU Exchange from taking on new customers or concluding new contracts until key anti‑money‑laundering (AML), counter‑terrorist financing (CTF) and sanctions compliance roles are properly staffed. The decision follows the departure of two compliance officers and cites breaches of internal organisational requirements. KuCoin’s Vienna‑based hub, which recently secured a MiCA licence to passport services across the EU, has voluntarily paused new onboarding and certain trading activities. The regulator’s move underscores the rapid enforcement of MiCA rules and the broader European push for crypto‑asset service providers to meet compliance standards before the July 2026 transition deadline.

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