KuCoin EU hires anti-money laundering talent to appease Austrian regulator

Policy Share Share this article Copy link X icon X (Twitter) LinkedIn Facebook Email KuCoin EU hires anti-money laundering talent to appease Austrian regulator KuCoin was ordered by Austria’s FMA to halt business in the EU because of a shortfall in AML and compliance staff. By Ian Allison | Edited by Sheldon Reback Apr 29, 2026, 9:27 a.m. Make preferred on KuCoin EU is beefing up its compliance operation. (Shutterstock) What to know : KuCoin EU hired AML and legal veteran Carmen Kleinhans as anti-money laundering officer (AMLO). Other senior hires include Austrian compliance veterans Stephan Klinger and Bernd Träxler. KuCoin EU Managing Director Sabina Liu was unable to provide a timeline for when the Austrian regulator would allow the exchange to resume operations. The European arm of global cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin has hired anti-money laundering (AML) and compliance expertise in a bid to appease its regulator, which recently demanded the exchange halt business in Europe due to a staffing shortfall. KuCoin EU, which holds a Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) license from Austria’s FMA, appointed Carmen Kleinhans as anti-money laundering officer (AMLO), alongside the expansion of its broader AML function, the company said in a press release on Wednesday. The exchange also hired Austrian compliance veterans Stephan Klinger and Bernd Träxler as deputy anti-money laundering officers. KuCoin EU Managing Director Sabina Liu said the exchange had “communicated fully” with the FMA when the action happened in February. “We always maintain a very transparent, open dialog with them, and the other way around as well. They have been very honest, transparent and very supportive of us,” Liu said in an interview. “Since February, we have been looking to strengthen the whole compliance team, making many appointments. So it is quite a large team now.” KuCoin has had a rough rise of late, having been barred from the U.S. after a Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) order and being slapped by Dubai’s VARA regulator for operating without the appropriate license. Liu was unable to provide a timeline for when the Austrian regulator would allow KUCoin EU to resume operations in Europe. “I think everything needs to be in discussion with the FMA,” she said. Regulation More For You CFTC sues Wisconsin in agency's legal campaign defending prediction markets authority By Jesse Hamilton | Edited by Nikhilesh De 15 hours ago The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission added Wisconsin to the list of states it's sued over event-contract jurisdiction, most recently New York. What to know : Wisconsin has become the latest state sued by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission in a fight over whether states have jurisdiction over prediction markets as gambling platforms or whether the CFTC has solo authority as the federal regulator of derivatives. Last week, Wisconsin sued several of the businesses, including... Read full story Latest Crypto News There's a social media groundswell predicting bitcoin above $90,000. That might be a problem. 16 minutes ago Canada proposes ban on crypto ATMs as fraud cases mount 4 hours ago XRP falls to $1.38 after breaking below $1.40 on rising selling pressure 4 hours ago Bitcoin rises to $77,000 ahead of Fed decision as Trump preps for lengthy Hormuz block 5 hours ago Institutional money is coming for bitcoin, but Adam Back says it moves slower than you think 5 hours ago Robinhood stock falls 8% after big earnings miss due to weak crypto trading revenue 13 hours ago Top Stories Paul Tudor Jones calls bitcoin the 'best inflation hedge,' warns of overvalued stocks 13 hours ago 'Crypto Godfather' says bitcoin has not reached its bottom and a new all-time high is off the table for 2026 18 hours ago CFTC sues Wisconsin in agency's legal campaign defending prediction markets authority 15 hours ago Industry leaders are pouring hundreds of millions into a rescue plan for Aave users after massive crypto hack Apr 27, 2026 CFTC's AI will review U.S. crypto registration applications, chairman tells CoinDesk 20 hours ago Bitmine's ether buys are catching up to Strategy's bitcoin accumulation pace Apr 28, 2026