# FinCEN

> The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. The agency that enforces anti-money-laundering rules in the United States.

Canonical URL: https://fudfomo.co/glossary/fincen
Source: What The Block! Dictionary v1.0 (last updated 2026-04-25), browsable at https://wtb.fudfomo.co.

## Definition

FinCEN, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, is the part of the US Treasury that enforces anti-money-laundering rules. Crypto exchanges and money transmitters operating in the US generally have to register with FinCEN, run KYC programmes, and file suspicious activity reports.

FinCEN also publishes guidance on how its rules apply to crypto and runs sanctions enforcement together with OFAC.

## Regulatory context

FinCEN registration is separate from any state-level money transmitter licensing. Most US-facing crypto firms need both.

## Related terms

- [AML](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/aml): Anti-money laundering. The rules and checks that stop crypto being used to hide the origin of dirty money.
- [KYC](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/kyc): Know Your Customer. The identity checks an exchange runs before letting you trade.
- [Sanctions Screening](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/sanctions-screening): Checking that the people and addresses involved in a transaction are not on a sanctions list.
- [SEC](https://fudfomo.co/glossary/sec): The US Securities and Exchange Commission. The American regulator that decides whether a token counts as a security.

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