Only one of 149 jurisdictions was fully compliant with Recommendation 15, and the Financial Action Task Force launched a targeted review of major crypto-service markets in October 2026.
The FATF announced the review on Oct. 30 following a plenary in Paris held Wednesday-Friday, Oct. 28-30. It will use objective criteria, including jurisdictions' current assessment status, when choosing which countries to examine. The group has not said which jurisdictions are in scope or how many it will select. The announcement describes a review and follow-up process and specifies no new rule or enforcement action.
The FATF's July 2026 report detailed an April assessment of 149 jurisdictions under Recommendation 15, which applies the group's standards to virtual assets and related service providers. It rated 64 partially compliant, 33 noncompliant, 51 largely compliant and one fully compliant. The report identified gaps in turning risk assessments into effective controls, establishing licensing systems, identifying providers and conducting risk-based supervision.
In a separate 2026 survey, 91 of 109 jurisdictions said they had enacted Travel Rule laws. For covered virtual-asset transfers, the rule requires virtual asset service providers and financial institutions to keep identifying details for senders and recipients and transmit those records securely. Of the 91 jurisdictions with laws, 55 had not reported rule-specific findings or directives, or related supervisory or enforcement activity. The FATF noted that survey replies were self-reported and had not been independently checked. The figures distinguish passing laws from reporting steps to supervise or enforce them.
The FATF said the implementation gap likely reflects that many laws were adopted recently while jurisdictions work to put oversight systems in place. At the Paris meeting, members also agreed to intensify action on financial-crime threats, including virtual-asset misuse and fraud and scam compounds. For selected jurisdictions, the FATF plans continuing cooperation and help to build expertise through training.
Initial review results are scheduled for June 2027, with another set due in October 2027.
