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Countering money laundering and terrorist financing: A case for bitcoin regulation

Author

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  • Fletcher, Emily
  • Larkin, Charles
  • Corbet, Shaen

Abstract

Bitcoin was created in 2008 to serve as an alternative payment mechanism for both the under-banked and un-banked, or those in regions where the formal financial system suffers from broad corruption and efficient regulation. However, criminals and terrorists quickly exploited Bitcoin's unique properties, namely its peer-to-peer nature and pseudo-anonymity, to facilitate extensive terrorist financing and money laundering schemes. Government reactions to safeguard national security interests have been extremely varied, ranging from outright bans to passive tolerance. This inconsistency stems from how to effectively classify Bitcoin. On one side are those who argue Bitcoin is a currency, and on the other are those who claim it is a type of asset. In the US alone, these discrepancies have led to a bureaucratic turf war between different regulatory bodies, namely the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Commodity Futures Trading Association, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Internal Revenue Service. This study seeks to move beyond the existing legal frameworks, arguing that Bitcoin should be classified as a technology and regulation should rest with private sector technology companies.

Suggested Citation

  • Fletcher, Emily & Larkin, Charles & Corbet, Shaen, 2021. "Countering money laundering and terrorist financing: A case for bitcoin regulation," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 56(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:riibaf:v:56:y:2021:i:c:s0275531921000088
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ribaf.2021.101387
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Peter Fratrič & Giovanni Sileno & Sander Klous & Tom Engers, 2022. "Manipulation of the Bitcoin market: an agent-based study," Financial Innovation, Springer;Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, vol. 8(1), pages 1-29, December.
    2. Xiaolin Li & Hongbo Jiao & Liming Cheng & Yilin Yin & Huimin Li & Wenqing Mu & Ruirui Zhang, 2023. "A Quantitative and Qualitative Review of Blockchain Research from 2015 to 2021," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-20, March.
    3. Xu, Lei & Kinkyo, Takuji, 2023. "Hedging effectiveness of bitcoin and gold: Evidence from G7 stock markets," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    4. Kyriazis, Nikolaos & Papadamou, Stephanos & Tzeremes, Panayiotis & Corbet, Shaen, 2023. "Can cryptocurrencies provide a viable hedging mechanism for benchmark index investors?," Research in International Business and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    5. Kyriazis, Nikolaos & Papadamou, Stephanos & Tzeremes, Panayiotis & Corbet, Shaen, 2023. "The differential influence of social media sentiment on cryptocurrency returns and volatility during COVID-19," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 307-317.
    6. Shaen Corbet & John W. Goodell & Samet Gunay & Kerem Kaskaloglu, 2023. "Are DeFi tokens a separate asset class from conventional cryptocurrencies?," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 322(2), pages 609-630, March.
    7. Ioana – Florina Coita & Laura – Camelia Filip & Eliza-Angelika Kicska, 2021. "Tax Evasion And Financial Fraud In The Current Digital Context," Annals of Faculty of Economics, University of Oradea, Faculty of Economics, vol. 1(1), pages 187-194, July.

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