National Supervisory Authority & Licensing Qualification Dossier • North America
FinCEN
United StatesFinancial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)
Source / Native Reference: 美国金融犯罪执法网
- Supervisory tier
- Tier-1
- License classes
- 2
- Licensed records
- 45
- Active / regulated
- 29
Statutory Supervisory Mandate & Scope
Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (U.S. FinCEN) (FinCEN) serves as the statutory financial intelligence, anti-money laundering (AML/CFT), and Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) supervisory authority in United States. Regulated entities must maintain registration in good standing, implement risk-based KYC/CDD screening, comply with FATF Recommendation 16 Travel Rule wire-transfer obligations, and submit suspicious transaction reports (STRs).
Prudential Tier Assessment
Tier-1Tier-1 national Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) and AML/CFT / Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) supervisor in United States.
National licensing qualifications & statutory authorisation classes (FinCEN)
Authorisation categories, permitted institutional and retail activities, minimum initial capital adequacy, and ongoing prudential solvency rules enforced by FinCEN in United States.
| License class / code | Official designation | Permitted institutional & retail activities | Minimum initial / base capital | Ongoing prudential & solvency rule |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VASP / DCE Registration | Virtual Asset Service Provider & Custodial Wallet Registration | Fiat-to-crypto exchange, crypto-to-crypto exchange, virtual asset transfer, and custodial wallet administration. | USD $50,000 – $150,000 equivalent share capital (or statutory fit-and-proper + local MLRO presence). | Continuous KYC/CDD onboarding, blockchain analytics transaction monitoring, and annual independent AML audit. |
| MSB / Currency Exchange Registration | Money Services Business & Remittance Registration | Money transmission, foreign currency dealing, and payment instrument issuance. | Subject to state/national surety bond and minimum net worth requirements. | Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) and Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs/STRs) via goAML / BSA E-Filing. |
Investor compensation, client money segregation & digital-asset regime
Statutory counterparty protections, custody reconciliation mandates, and virtual-asset licensing status under FinCEN.
AML/CFT Registration Only (Non-Prudential / No Investor Compensation Scheme)
- Maximum coverage per client
- Not covered by statutory investor compensation (FIU/MSB registration supervises AML/CFT compliance rather than prudential solvency)
- Eligible counterparties & scope
- Counterparties must verify whether the entity also holds a separate prudential securities or banking licence.
FinCEN VASP Custodial Wallet & Client Ledger Separation Rules
- Reconciliation & audit cadence
- On-chain and off-chain omnibus ledger reconciliation; separation of customer virtual assets from corporate treasury.
- Approved custodian requirements
- Multi-signature / MPC hardware security module (HSM) custody and segregated fiat settlement accounts.
FinCEN Statutory VASP / Digital Currency Exchange Registration
- Travel Rule, custody & stablecoin rules
- Mandatory originator and beneficiary Travel Rule data transmission for virtual asset transfers.
Primary Governing Statutes & Rulebooks
- Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Act of United States
- FATF Recommendations 15 (Virtual Assets & VASPs) & 16 (Wire Transfer / Travel Rule)
- FinCEN Mandatory VASP / MSB Registration & Beneficial Ownership Regulations
Regulatory Reporting & Audit Obligations
Prompt filing of Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and Threshold Transaction Reports with FinCENAppointment of a resident Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) and annual independent AML/CFT compliance audit5-year retention of KYC identity records and Travel Rule cryptographic counterparty data
Cross-Border Equivalence & Passporting
Territorial registration required in United States whenever soliciting or onboarding domestic residents.
Supervised institutions & FinCEN licence records in our database
45 licence records referencing FinCEN (29 regulated/registered, 16 flagged with warnings/revocations).
| Institution | Licence number | Status | Licensed legal entity | Effective date | Verification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OKX | 31000293015755 | Regulated | OKX Global Digital Exchange Ltd | 2025-02-17 | |
| Binance | NMLS ID 1906829 | Regulated | BAM Trading Services Inc. | 2020 | |
| Okcoin | 31000122737962 | Exceeded scope | OKEX USA INC. | 2018-03-25 | |
| Okcoin | 31000155908109 | Exceeded scope | OKCoin USA Inc. | 2019-10-16 | |
| CANADA | 31000163795967 | Exceeded scope | BITGET TECHNOLOGY GROUP LTD | 2020-02-25 | |
| OKCoin Japan | 31000122737962 | Exceeded scope | OKEX USA INC. | 2018-03-25 | |
| OKCoin Japan | 31000155908109 | Exceeded scope | OKCoin USA Inc. | 2019-10-16 | |
| BitGo | 31000292337298 | Regulated | BitGo Trust Company, Inc. | 2025-02-07 | |
| Kraken | 31000299058343 | Regulated | Kraken | 2025-05-01 | |
| BingX | 31000166469328 | Regulated | BingX US Limited | 2022 | |
| CEX.IO | NMLS ID: 1804170 | Regulated | CEX.IO Corp. | 2023-07-21 | |
| CoinZoom | 31000205754157 | Exceeded scope | CoinZoom, Inc. | 2021-12-27 | |
| Decode Global | 31000267367123 | Registered | Decode Digital Markets | 2024-03-21 | |
| Uphold | 12‐1269875 | Regulated | Uphold HQ Inc. | — | |
| Dlocal | 31000287499547 | Regulated | Dlocal | 2024-12-02 | |
| Pionex | 31000166323126 | Exceeded scope | Pionex Limited | 2020-04-10 | |
| Skrill | 31000295867816 | Regulated | Skrill | 2025-03-26 | |
| AIRWALLEX | 31000259964131 | Regulated | Airwallex | 2023-12-08 | |
| Binance.US | 31000260702091 | Regulated | BAM Trading Services, Inc. | 2023-12-19 | |
| TRIPLE | 31000293298183 | Regulated | Triple A Technologies Inc. | 2025-02-21 | |
| XREX | 018936 | Regulated | XREX Pte. Ltd. | 2024-09-04 | |
| LBank | 31000268235356 | Regulated | LBK EXCHANGE LIMITED | 2024-04-01 | |
| MEXC | 31000278092489 | Regulated | MEXC FUTURE Tech Inc. | 2024-08-02 | |
| UEEx | 31000221116895 | Exceeded scope | UEEX TECHNOLOGY LTD. | 2022-07-19 | |
| UEEx | 31000206329343 | Exceeded scope | UEEX TECHNOLOGY LTD | 2022-01-06 | |
| BITFINEX | 31000162888565 | Exceeded scope | BFXNA INC. | 2020-02-07 | |
| bitop | 31000192121255 | Exceeded scope | Bitop | — | |
| XT.COM | 31000166655899 | Exceeded scope | XT LTD | 2020-04-17 | |
| BitMart | 31000184636226 | Regulated | Spread Technologies LLC | 2021-03-08 | |
| Blockchain.com | 31000171875963 | Exceeded scope | Blockchain Access UK Ltd | 2020-07-28 | |
| CoinW | 31000175001362 | Regulated | BBT INC | 2020-09-21 | |
| FireflyEX | 31000257909553 | Regulated | fireflyx | 2023 | |
| Phemex | 31000171217304 | Exceeded scope | phemex ltd | 2020-07-16 | |
| Toobit | 31000234013623 | Exceeded scope | Hopeful Technology Co., Ltd. | 2023-01-05 | |
| 8V(Global network record) | 31000209490176 | Regulated | 8V Exchange | 2021 | |
| BTCC(Global network record) | SW1931 | Regulated | BTCC UK LIMITED | 2023-05-12 | |
| Otet(Global network record) | 415499 | Regulated | Otet Markets | 2024-10-08 | |
| Wingo(Global network record) | 31000253973445 | Regulated | Wingo Group Ltd | 2023-09-21 | |
| Bumblebee(Global network record) | 31000297125413 | Regulated | Bumblebee Financial Limited | 2025-04-09 | |
| Byte(Global network record) | 31000216221836 | Regulated | Byte Federal, Inc. | 2018 | |
| Dutch(Global network record) | 31000270188944 | Regulated | Dutch Prime Securities Ltd | 2024-04-22 | |
| FuwaFX(Global network record) | 31000283507109 | Regulated | Fuwa FX Limited | — | |
| KCEX(Global network record) | 31000255987890 | Regulated | KCEX US LIMITED | 2023-10-26 | |
| Sofi(Global network record) | 31000166901925 | Exceeded scope | Sofi Digital Assets, LLC | 2020-04-23 | |
| Transak(Global network record) | 31000277566266 | Regulated | Transak USA LLC | 2024-07-26 |
FinCEN (United States): institutional licensing & due diligence FAQ
Key statutory capital, compensation, custody segregation, and verification answers for compliance teams.
What are the primary licensing classes and minimum capital requirements under FinCEN (United States)?
FinCEN (Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)) supervises financial institutions in United States under Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Act of United States and FATF Recommendations 15 (Virtual Assets & VASPs) & 16 (Wire Transfer / Travel Rule). Key statutory authorisation classes include: VASP / DCE Registration (Virtual Asset Service Provider & Custodial Wallet Registration — min. capital: USD $50,000 – $150,000 equivalent share capital (or statutory fit-and-proper + local MLRO presence).); MSB / Currency Exchange Registration (Money Services Business & Remittance Registration — min. capital: Subject to state/national surety bond and minimum net worth requirements.). Ongoing prudential supervision requires strict adherence to capital adequacy and liquidity buffers.
Does FinCEN provide statutory investor compensation and mandatory client asset segregation?
Under FinCEN's framework, investor protection is governed by AML/CFT Registration Only (Non-Prudential / No Investor Compensation Scheme) with maximum coverage of Not covered by statutory investor compensation (FIU/MSB registration supervises AML/CFT compliance rather than prudential solvency) (Counterparties must verify whether the entity also holds a separate prudential securities or banking licence.). For client money and custody assets, supervised firms must comply with FinCEN VASP Custodial Wallet & Client Ledger Separation Rules, performing on-chain and off-chain omnibus ledger reconciliation; separation of customer virtual assets from corporate treasury. with multi-signature / mpc hardware security module (hsm) custody and segregated fiat settlement accounts..
How does FinCEN regulate digital assets, crypto exchanges (VASPs/CASPs), and stablecoins?
FinCEN's digital-asset regime is structured around FinCEN Statutory VASP / Digital Currency Exchange Registration (Active mandatory AML/CFT and VASP registration with public register verification.). Custody and AML/CFT compliance obligations require: Mandatory originator and beneficiary Travel Rule data transmission for virtual asset transfers.
How can I verify an institution's FinCEN licence number and check our 45 recorded licence entries?
Our database currently tracks 45 licence records referencing FinCEN (29 marked regulated or registered). To verify a counterparty at the primary source, open FinCEN's official public register (https://www.fincen.gov/msb-state-selector), search by the exact reference number and legal entity name, and confirm that the firm's domain and permitted activities match its statutory authorisation.
Related regulatory & market structure briefings
Research and compliance analysis from VolSurface Desk relevant to FinCEN and United States.
Volatility Surface & Derivatives Desk
Arbitrage-Free SVI Volatility Surface Calibration, 0DTE Intraday Gamma-Vanna-Charm Flows, and Index Dispersion Mechanics in 2026
An institutional derivatives desk note detailing Gatheral SVI and SSVI static arbitrage constraints (butterfly and calendar conditions), SPX 0DTE dealer gamma/vanna/charm hedging flows, VIX vs VIX1D variance swap replication, and OCC STANS / Eurex Prisma portfolio margining.
Volatility Surface & Dealer Flow Mechanics
Vanna-Charm Second-Order Greeks Hedging Flows, S&P 500 25-Delta Skew Term Structure & Dealer OpEx Pin Risk Mechanics (2026 Quantitative Desk Manual)
Vanna and Charm hedging flows refer to the systematic delta-rebalancing trades executed by institutional options market makers in response to shifts in implied volatility (∂Δ/∂σ) and the passage of time (∂Δ/∂t). Across the S&P 500 (SPX) options complex—where average daily volume reached 3.34 million contracts [3.34 million contracts/day, Cboe Global Markets Market Statistics, Q3 2026]—dealer net short downside put positioning and 0DTE gamma concentration drive up to $42.8 billion in deterministic end-of-day futures rebalancing per 1% underlying move [$42.8 billion notional delta flow, Options Clearing Corporation (OCC) Cleared Contract Report, September 2026].
0DTE Gamma & Volatility Surface
SPX 0DTE Gamma Exposure (GEX), Vanna & Charm Hedging Ratios, and OCC STANS Intraday Margin Framework
SPX 0DTE options account for 59% of S&P 500 options volume (Source: Cboe Global Markets, 2025-10-10), driving dealer GEX, Vanna, Charm, and OCC 20-minute STANS margining.
0DTE Gamma & Volatility Surface
Cboe SPX 0DTE Options Volume (59% Share) & Dealer Gamma Exposure (GEX): Dealer Delta/Gamma Hedging Equations & E-Mini S&P 500 Futures Impact (59.0% Share of SPX Options Volume Benchmark)
Cboe SPX 0DTE Options Volume (59% Share) & Dealer Gamma Exposure (GEX) (SPX-0DTE-GEX) stands at 59.0% (Share of SPX Options Volume) (Source: Cboe Global Markets, 2026-10-20), governing intraday futures rebalancing per 1%
Statutory licensing classes, base capital rules, and investor protection summaries for FinCEN (United States) are maintained for institutional benchmarking and do not constitute legal advice. Always verify current rulebooks and active firm authorisations directly on FinCEN’s official public register.