OSCE strengthens national capacities of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova to address virtual asset risks and financial crime through study visit to the United Kingdom

The OSCE organized a study visit to London from 25 to 26 March 2026 for representatives from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Moldova. The visit, supported by the United Kingdom, aimed to enhance national capacities in addressing risks related to virtual assets and financial crime.

The programme brought together representatives from financial intelligence units, supervisory authorities, and central banks, offering a comprehensive overview of the United Kingdom’s regulatory, supervisory, and operational approaches to virtual assets. Participants also explored how national strategies and legislative frameworks are developed to address emerging risks related to cryptoassets. During the visit, participants engaged with key UK institutions, including HM Revenue & Customs, the Bank of England, the Home Office, the National Crime Agency, and the Financial Intelligence Unit, as well as with private sector experts from Elliptic. 

Discussions focused on anti-money laundering (AML) supervision of cryptoasset businesses, taxation and compliance, financial stability risks and the use of financial intelligence and suspicious activity reporting. Sessions also covered blockchain tracing tools, risk analysis and co-operation with law enforcement, offering participants practical insights into detecting and investigating illicit financial flows involving cryptoassets.

Key takeaways included:

• The importance of clear regulatory and supervisory frameworks for virtual asset service providers (VASPs); 
• The need to strengthen inter-agency co-operation among supervisors, FIUs and law enforcement; 
• The value of public-private partnerships, particularly with blockchain analytics providers; 
• The growing relevance of financial stability considerations, including stablecoins and emerging digital currencies; 
• The critical role of financial intelligence and suspicious activity reporting in identifying and disrupting illicit financial flows. 

The visit fostered peer-to-peer exchange and strengthened participants’ understanding of how integrated institutional approaches can enhance financial integrity and mitigate risks associated with emerging financial technologies.

The activity was organized within the OSCE extrabudgetary project “Innovative policy solutions to mitigate money-laundering risks of virtual assets”, implemented by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities, supported by Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom, and the United States.