What this is
Opening and keeping an operating bank account for a virtual-asset business.
Why it is harder than the licence
Because a bank makes its own risk decision and is supervised on it. A licence is a precondition, not a decision. Banks apply enhanced due diligence to virtual-asset clients as a matter of course, and a file that is merely complete is not the same as a file that is persuasive.
What the work involves
Assembling the ownership chain to natural persons. Documenting source of wealth and source of funds to a standard that will survive a sceptical reader. Explaining the transaction monitoring design in terms a credit committee can follow. Preparing the business narrative. Making the introduction and handling the questions that come back.
When a bank declines
Regulated electronic money institutions and payment service providers are sometimes a workable alternative, with limits that should be understood before they are relied on rather than after. We will say when that is the realistic route.
Regulators
Common questions
Can you guarantee an account?
No. What we can do is make sure the file is not the reason for a refusal, and tell you honestly when the structure itself is the obstacle.
Sources
- Scope of work described here reflects our practice, not a regulatory requirement — Regulatory statements on these pages carry the same review status as elsewhere on the site