Kitajska označuje transakcije s kriptovalutami kot pranje denarja

On Monday, Chinese authorities officially recognized transactions involving virtual assets, including cryptocurrencies, as a recognized method of money laundering. This is the first time that China has taken such a significant step in this kind of classification of virtual assets.

The Supreme People's Court and the Supreme People's Procuratorate, China's highest judicial authorities, made the joint announcement at a press conference. These new measures are part of a broader initiative aimed at strengthening anti-money laundering laws, with a particular focus on cracking down on the use of cryptocurrencies in illicit financial activities.

In the updated legal interpretation, transactions with virtual assets, including those facilitated by cryptocurrency exchanges, are specifically defined as actions that “conceal and conceal the source and nature of the proceeds of crime.” This explanation highlights the government's intention to crack down on financial crimes that take advantage of the anonymity and decentralized nature of virtual assets.

Under the new regulations, Chinese authorities will treat laundering amounts exceeding 5 million yuan (about $685,000) or causing a financial loss of more than 2.5 million yuan (about $343,000) as a serious crime. These thresholds are intended to ensure that large-scale money laundering operations are subject to stricter legal scrutiny and penalties.

If convicted, individuals involved in such activities can receive up to five years in prison and a minimum of 10,000 yuan (about $1,370). In more serious cases, where the sentence ranges from five to ten years, the fine increases significantly to a minimum of 200,000 yuan (about US$27,400) in addition to the prison sentence.

This development follows China's previous bans on initial coin offerings (ICOs) in 2017 and cryptocurrency transactions in 2021, indicating the country's evolving and increasingly strict approach to regulating cryptocurrencies and related activities.

In this regard, former President Donald Trump, speaking at a campaign event in York, Pennsylvania, emphasized the importance of the United States maintaining its technological edge, especially in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies.

He emphasized that these areas are becoming increasingly important and warned that if the US does not remain at the forefront, countries such as China could potentially dominate these key technologies. Trump's remarks underscore the global competition for technological advancements and the strategic importance of maintaining an edge in these rapidly evolving sectors.