Regulators compete with DeFi for control of cross-chain futures
Source: CoinWorld
Time: 2025-09-10 21:48:07
Regulatory compliance is becoming a key obstacle to cross-chain transactions, and anti-money laundering (AML) requirements conflict with the decentralized nature of DeFi. Decentralized bridges have contributed to over $21.8 billion in illegal asset transfers, but lack powerful monitoring tools and the source of transactions is vague. Traditional anti-money laundering solutions are designed for centralized systems and are not suitable for cross-chain protocols, thus creating a gap in compliance. Regulations such as Travel Rule and MiCA add complexity, while US enforcement actions and stricter UK regulation highlight growing regulatory pressures. Without compliant infrastructure that matches the DeFi concept, institutions’ adoption of DeFi will still be restricted.