FinCEN announces innovation hours program
On May 24, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) announced a new program that will provide opportunities for fintech/regulatory technology companies and financial institutions to showcase new and emerging innovative approaches for combating money laundering and terrorist financing and to demonstrate how other financial institutions could use similar technologies. The FinCEN Innovation Hours Program will accept meetings once per month, with primary consideration given to entities that are already operational. According to FinCEN, the program is part of a broader initiative introduced last year (previously covered by InfoBytes here and here) that encourages banks and credit unions to explore innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence, digital identity technologies, and internal financial intelligence units to combat illicit financial threats, as well as collaborative arrangements to share resources and enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering compliance programs.