What is KYC in Crypto? Its Benefits & major risks involved in it!
Does not matter whether you are dealing in banking, cryptocurrencies, or in any other financial institution, you will always be asked to complete the KYC process. Let’s understand why we need to do so and what are the benefits of it to the users.
First of all, KYC, or "Know Your Customer," is a process used by financial institutions and other regulated companies to verify the identity of their customers.
KYC in cryptocurrencies
In the context of cryptocurrency, it typically involves collecting identifying information, such as a government-issued ID or passport, from users who wish to open an account, make a transaction, or access certain features or services. The goal is to prevent money laundering, fraud, and other financial crimes by ensuring that the individuals and entities using the platform are who they claim to be.
It means KYC or "Know Your Customer" is the very initial stage which works as an anti- money laundering. There are several more such use cases of KYC procedures, let’s get a quick glimpse on them.
Benefits of KYC in crypto
There are several benefits to implementing KYC in the cryptocurrency industry, including:
1. Compliance: KYC helps cryptocurrency companies comply with anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) regulations.
2. Fraud prevention: By verifying the identity of users, companies can better detect and prevent fraudulent activities such as money laundering and identity theft.
3. Reputation: Implementing KYC can enhance the reputation and legitimacy of a cryptocurrency company, which can attract more customers and increase trust in the industry as a whole.
4. Risk management: By verifying the identity of users, companies can better assess and manage the risks associated with their business.
5. Legal protection: By following AML/KYC regulations and taking steps to prevent illegal activities, companies can protect themselves from legal repercussions.
Overall, KYC is an important measure to promote security and compliance, which can prevent illegal activities and protect companies from legal repercussions. It can also help to gain the trust of customers and regulators and improve the reputation of the industry.
Though there are various advantages of completing the “Know Your Customer” process, users must be aware of the fact that where they are sharing their personal information. Because, there can be more or less risk involved in KYC procedures.
Risks associated with implementing KYC?
There are several risks associated with implementing a Know Your Customer (KYC) process:
1. Compliance risk: Failure to comply with KYC regulations can result in fines or penalties.
2. Reputation risk: A company's reputation can be damaged if it is found to have inadequate KYC processes.
3. Operational risk: Incorrect or incomplete customer data can lead to operational errors and inefficiencies.
4. Data privacy and security risk: Collecting and storing sensitive personal information can increase the risk of data breaches and identity theft.
5. Risk of financial crime: KYC processes can also create a risk of financial crime if they are not properly implemented and monitored.
6. Legal risk: Companies may also face legal risks if they are found to have violated any data protection laws or regulations.
7. Onboarding and customer experience risk: Implementing overly restrictive or time-consuming KYC processes can lead to a poor customer experience, which can result in lost business.
Do crypto wallets need KYC compliance?
Whether or not crypto wallets need to comply with Know Your Customer (KYC) regulations depends on the jurisdiction in which they operate and the type of services they offer.
In general, exchanges and other companies that offer services for buying and selling cryptocurrencies are subject to KYC regulations. This is because they are considered to be money services businesses (MSBs) and are required to comply with anti-money laundering (AML) and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT) regulations.
However, for self-custodied wallets, the regulations may vary, in some jurisdictions, self-custodied wallets are not considered to be MSBs and are not subject to KYC regulations. However, it's important to note that this is not the case in all jurisdictions, and some countries may have specific regulations that apply to self-custodied wallets.
It's also worth noting that in some countries, the regulations are still being developed, and the legal requirements for crypto wallets may change in the future. Therefore, it's important for crypto wallets to stay informed about the regulations in their jurisdiction and to consult with legal counsel to ensure compliance.
Can anyone trade on exchanges without completing KYC?
On many cryptocurrencies exchanges, it is mandatory to enter the details, identify documents and complete the entire KYC verification procedures to buy, sell and trade in cryptocurrencies. It is so because such exchanges are either centralised or follow the traditional financial process to regulate the services. So, these exchanges require users to complete a process called "Know Your Customer" (KYC) before they can trade on the platform. However, there are some decentralized exchanges (DEXs) like Uniswap and Bisq that do not require KYC, as trades are conducted directly between users and there is no central authority controlling the platform. However, it's important to note that some jurisdictions may have laws that require exchanges to implement KYC procedures and not doing so may be considered illegal.
Besides it, some exchanges like CoinSwitch, CoinCRED, FTX, etc. allows users to trade in various popular cryptocurrencies with no KYC. The crypto fanatics will be imposed a withdrawal option only to undergo the verification process of “Know Your Customer”.
Benefits of Non- KYC Exchanges
Following are various key pointers which will help one know why it is beneficial to trade with non- KYC exchanges. Let’s discuss it:
Privacy: Not everyone wants their money to be tracked by other banking institutions. You have the choice to maintain your anonymity on non-KYC crypto exchanges. For daily use, some exchanges provide branded crypto debit cards.
Low trading fees: Compared to the leading exchanges on the market, non-KYC exchanges charge lesser fees. It is thus a less expensive choice..
Ease of use: Running a hardware wallet is feasible on non-KYC cryptocurrency exchanges. Owning one makes it simpler to manage your cryptocurrency. Without KYC, you can trade and transact various cryptocurrencies.
Performance: A fast, secure, and convenient trading environment ensures a high performance.
Riteshu Sen Jaiswar
