NYDFS calls for crypto firms to use blockchain analytics

cointelegraph.com:

In a letter published on Thursday, the New York State Department of Financial Services, or NYDFS, recommended that all virtual currency companies operating under New York banking law adopt blockchain analytics to trace transactions. In supporting the decision, the regulatory agency wrote:

Therefore, as told by NYDFS, it is vital that such class of firms use blockchain analytics to prevent illicit transactions, such as money laundering or terrorism financing. The agency also outlined three analytical processes that can help combat such measures. These include augmenting Know Your Customer, or KYC, related controls, conducting transaction monitoring of on-chain activity, and conducting sanctions screening of on-chain activity.

Separately, the same day, cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase announced that it was rolling out a novel know-your-transaction, or KYT, service, dubbed "Coinbase Intelligence," to help cryptocurrency firms deal with compliance issues. As told by Coinbase, it is an API-type service that businesses and institutions can use to mitigate regulatory risks on their own platforms. Features include:

Meanwhile, Coinbase Analytics has been rebranded to Coinbase Tracer to visualize the flow of funds using public attribution data to reduce fraud, demystify counterparty risk, and help flag anti-money laundering risks with risk scores and alerts.