Ireland Cracks Down on Crypto and Gambling Industry Loopholes
The Irish government has unveiled its comprehensive national strategy to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing. The National Anti-Money Laundering, Countering Financing of Terrorism and Countering Proliferation Financing Strategy 2026 aims to strengthen Ireland's financial crime defences.
Simon Harris, Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, emphasized that financial crime has a profound human cost, affecting elderly individuals, families, and communities. The strategy responds to the growing sophistication of criminals who exploit technology and operate across borders.
Crypto assets have been classified as posing a 'very significant' threat for both money laundering and terrorist financing. Regulatory fragmentation and unregulated areas such as decentralised finance (DeFi) are identified as risk multipliers for Irish service providers.