FATF Blacklist: Crypto Projects Shunned by Global Regulators

When you hear FATF blacklist, a list of countries and entities deemed high-risk for money laundering and terrorist financing by the Financial Action Task Force. Also known as the Grey List, it’s not just about nations—it’s about the crypto projects that operate from those places or ignore global rules. This isn’t theoretical. If a crypto exchange is based in a FATF-blacklisted country, or if a token’s team hides behind anonymity in a jurisdiction that refuses to share user data, regulators see it as a red flag. And exchanges like Coinbase or Kraken will block you from trading those assets—even if the token itself looks promising.

The FATF travel rule, a global standard requiring crypto exchanges to share sender and receiver info for transactions over $1,000 is the backbone of this system. Projects that refuse to comply—like some decentralized exchanges with no KYC or anonymous teams—are automatically suspect. That’s why tokens like DDM, UNW, or BCZERO show up in our guides: they’re not just dead—they’re often built in ways that avoid oversight entirely. The AML crypto, anti-money laundering practices enforced by regulators to prevent illicit use of digital assets isn’t about stopping innovation. It’s about stopping criminals from using crypto as a private cash system.

Angola banned mining because its grid couldn’t handle the load. Pakistan gave 2,000 MW to miners because it saw opportunity. Canada’s rules vary by province because federal law doesn’t cover everything. But when a country ends up on the FATF blacklist, it’s not about energy or economics—it’s about transparency. If you can’t prove who owns what, or where funds go, regulators shut it down. That’s why LocalTrade, PayCash Swap, and other unregulated platforms get flagged. They don’t just lack reviews—they lack accountability.

What you’ll find below isn’t just a list of scams. It’s a map of what happens when crypto ignores the rules. You’ll see tokens with zero supply, exchanges with fake volume, and airdrops that don’t exist—all tied to the same problem: no one knows who’s behind them. The FATF blacklist isn’t a threat to honest users. It’s a warning system. And understanding it means you won’t accidentally fund a criminal operation—or lose your money to a project that vanishes the moment regulators show up.