Title: What are the Legal Risks to Cryptocurrency Investors?
Headings: What are the Legal Risks to Cryptocurrency Investors?
What are the Legal Risks to Cryptocurrency Investors?
Cryptocurrencies as Property
Decentralized Status
Business Registrations and Licensing
Fraud and Money Laundering

Content: As in other financial areas, businesses may be required to register and obtain licensure for particular jurisdictions and activities. Owing to the complex and evolving legal status of digital currencies, this area is significantly less clear for businesses operating in the crypto market. Companies which only accept cryptocurrencies, for example, may not need to register or obtain licenses at all. On the other hand, they may be required to submit to special considerations depending upon their jurisdiction. The onus of responsibility falls on business owners and managers to insure that they are following proper legal procedure for their operations at both the local and state levels. At the federal level, for example, financial institutions must maintain certain activities related to protections against money laundering and fraud, transmission of funds, and more. Considerations like these also apply to businesses dealing with digital currencies. Fraud and Money Laundering
There is a widespread belief that cryptocurrencies provide criminal organizations with a new means of committing fraud, money laundering, and a host of other financial crimes. This may not directly impact most cryptocurrency investors who do not intend to use this new technology to commit such crimes. However, investors who find themselves in the unfortunate position of being a victim of financial crime do not likely have the same legal options as traditional victims of fraud.