AMLA Executive Board Member Simonas Krepšta delivered a presentation at the 10th Global Conference on Criminal Finances and Cryptoassets in Luxembourg on 15 September 2026, setting out AMLA's priorities on crypto assets. The conference was hosted by the Basel Institute on Governance, Europol and the UNODC.
Krepšta explained why crypto assets have become a strategic priority for AMLA, in the context of the evolving risks associated with their use, including challenges arising from the digitalisation of financial services and the potential misuse of crypto-assets for illicit purposes. He outlined AMLA's Crypto Action Plan for 2026 and beyond, which focuses on enhancing EU-wide understanding of crypto-related risks, promoting supervisory convergence and effectiveness, strengthening analytical capabilities, and fostering cooperation with relevant EU stakeholders.
The Executive Board Member noted that AMLA is focusing on the analysis of ML/TF risks in the crypto sector, with findings expected to be reflected in a forthcoming report. He pointed to the stronger regulatory and supervisory framework now in place under MiCA and the new AML/CFT package, while underlining that important risks and vulnerabilities remain. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening blockchain analytics capabilities, noting that the current fragmented landscape requires an EU-level response.
Krepšta concluded that while crypto assets bring opportunities for innovation, they also create new risks, and that regulation alone is not enough. Effective implementation, supervisory convergence and strong analytical capabilities, he stressed, will be critical to building a more coherent European response to crypto-related financial crime.
