On January 15, 2021, Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) published in the Federal Register a notice reopening the comment period on a proposed rule s for banks and money services businesses (“MSBs”) related to certain transactions involving convertible virtual currency (“CVC”) or digital assets with legal tender status (“legal tender digital assets” or “LTDA”). As set forth in the notice, FinCEN is identifying additional statutory authority for the proposed rule under the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020, providing additional information regarding the reporting form, and reopening the comment period for the proposal. Specifically, FinCEN is providing an additional 15 days for comments on the proposed reporting requirements regarding information on CVC or LTDA transactions greater than $10,000, or aggregating to greater than $10,000, that involve unhosted wallets or wallets hosted in a jurisdiction identified by FinCEN. FinCEN is providing an additional 45 days for comments on the proposed requirements that banks and MSBs report certain information regarding counterparties to transactions by their hosted wallet customers, and on the proposed recordkeeping requirements.

The comment period for the proposed rule published on December 23, 2020 (85 FR 83840) was reopened for 15 days for comments on the proposed reporting requirements and for 45 days for comments on the proposed requirement to report counterparty information and the proposed recordkeeping requirements. Written comments are now therefore due with respect to the proposed reporting requirements (except with respect to reporting of counterparty information) on February 1, 2021, and with respect to all other aspects of the proposed rule on March 1, 2021.

On January 28, 2021, in a Federal Register document,the comment period was further extended for 60 days. Comments must be received by March 29, 2021.