Costa Rica approves anti-money laundering bill for cryptocurrency services

According to CriptoNoticias, the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica unanimously passed Amendment No. 7786, which establishes specific obligations for virtual asset service providers regarding anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This bill responds to the warning from the Financial Action Task Force in 2024 that Costa Rica could be placed on a gray list if it does not fill regulatory gaps.

The new law requires virtual asset service providers to register with the General Superintendency of Financial Institutions and fulfill obligations such as customer identification, due diligence, transaction record keeping, and reporting suspicious transactions. Violations can result in fines ranging from 5% to 50% of the transaction amount, or from $1,800 to $90,000. The law will take effect three months after its publication, with its specific effectiveness depending on the enforcement by regulatory agencies.