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EMI or PI: Which Payment Licence Should a Startup Choose
This article is about choosing between a payment institution (PI) licence and an electronic money institution (EMI) licence for a startup in the EU. It covers how they differ under the PSD2 and EMD2 directives, whether you can hold a client balance, how much capital is needed, how client money is protected and how to…
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Payments and Banks for Gambling Projects: Why They Refuse and How to Build the Structure
Gambling companies lose payment partners more often than most businesses, and rarely because of one violation. Banks and card acquirers put the whole sector in a high-risk group, and a project that cannot explain its business and money flows gets declined. Thi...
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FATF Closes Consultation on Payment Transparency Guidance Under Revised Recommendation 16
FATF consulted on guidance for revised Recommendation 16 from 24 June to 21 August 2026. The final text has not been published yet.
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P2E Game Token: Security, Payment Instrument or In-Game Currency?
This article is about the tokens of play-to-earn (P2E) games, where players earn tokens and can withdraw them into money. It covers how US and EU regulators tell an in-game currency from a security and from a payment instrument, which features matter for that, and what a game studio should fix in its tokenomics and…
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Accepting Cryptocurrency Payments in Business: Contracts, Tax, AML
This article is about what a company needs to do to accept payment in cryptocurrency. It covers the two ways of accepting payment, contract terms with the customer and with the payment provider, tax in the EU, the UK and the US, and anti-money laundering (AML) and sanctions requirements. Everything is based on primary sources:…
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Responsible Gambling and AML for iGaming Operators: Mandatory Procedures
An online gambling operator answers to the regulator on two fronts. The first is protection against money laundering, known as AML. The second is responsible gambling, which means protecting the players themselves. This article covers the procedures that are mandatory on each front in the EU, the UK, Malta, Curaçao and Estonia, where the two…