Nils Silinevics
Partner · AML & Crypto Compliance · Former FIU Investigator
Bitfinex has exited the United States market. Bitfinex exited US market (2018); not available to US persons; settled CFTC charges (2021, $1.5M) If your funds are stuck, Swiss lawyers can pursue cross-jurisdictional action. Free case review within 24 hours.
Bitfinex exited US market (2018); not available to US persons; settled CFTC charges (2021, $1.5M)
USA has fragmented regulation — FinCEN (MSB registration), SEC (Howey test: is it a security?), CFTC (commodities), state regulators (NY BitLicense is most famous)
This matters because it determines which regulatory body has authority over your case — and whether you have a direct complaint path or need cross-jurisdictional legal action.
What this means for you: Bitfinex has exited United States, but your funds should have been returned during the exit process. If they weren't, we pursue cross-jurisdictional legal action against Bitfinex in its home jurisdiction (British Virgin Islands).
The exit doesn't erase your rights. Under Bank Secrecy Act, Bitfinex must return customer funds before exiting. If they froze your account and then exited, that's a compliance failure we can challenge.
under BSA, you can complain to FinCEN; state regulators (e.g., NY DFS for BitLicense firms); SEC whistleblower program; CFTC reparations
Under Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) + USA PATRIOT Act + FinCEN regulations (31 CFR Chapter X), Bitfinex must conduct customer due diligence and can freeze accounts during AML investigations. However, they must also:
If Bitfinex doesn't meet these obligations, we escalate to FinCEN (federal MSB) + SEC (securities) + CFTC (derivatives) + state regulators (NY DFS BitLicense) and file a formal legal submission. For a broader comparison of how United States's rules stack up against other jurisdictions, see our AML laws by country reference.
capital gains tax (0/15/20% federal + 3.8% NIIT) + state income tax; income tax if mining/staking
If your Bitfinex account is frozen, you may still need to declare your crypto holdings on your United States tax return — even if you can't access them. Under United States law, the tax obligation may apply regardless of whether the funds are accessible. We recommend consulting a American tax advisor.
If the freeze causes you to miss a tax deadline, we can provide documentation for the FinCEN (federal MSB) + SEC (securities) + CFTC (derivatives) + state regulators (NY DFS BitLicense) and tax authority explaining the situation.
A American investor received a source-of-funds demand from Bitfinex after receiving a large crypto transfer. Bitfinex required full documentation under Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) + USA PATRIOT Act + FinCEN regulations (31 CFR Chapter X). We compiled a structured source-of-funds package with bank statements, exchange history, and FinCEN (federal MSB) + SEC (securities) + CFTC (derivatives) + state regulators (NY DFS BitLicense)-compliant documentation. Funds were released within 3 weeks after our formal legal submission to Bitfinex's compliance team.
Details anonymized to protect client confidentiality. Swiss professional secrecy applies.
We analyze your Bitfinex account, transaction history, and United States regulatory context to identify the exact trigger. Was it a Chainalysis Reactor risk flag? A sanctions screening match? A source-of-funds demand? Each requires a different strategy.
We prepare documentation compliant with Bank Secrecy Act — not just Bitfinex's standard templates. This includes source-of-funds proof, transaction tracing, and any required FinCEN-specific forms.
We submit through Bitfinex's compliance channels — not standard support. Our submission is in English and references FinCEN guidelines. We coordinate with FinCEN even though Bitfinex is not registered.
We verify everything works and advise on preventing recurrence on Bitfinex. If Bitfinex doesn't respond within no statutory maximum; FinCEN expects SAR (Suspicious Activity Report) resolution within 30-90 days, we escalate to FinCEN and pursue cross-jurisdictional action in British Virgin Islands if needed.
Tell us what happened. A senior crypto compliance lawyer — not a chatbot, not a junior — will read your case and respond within 6 hours. Swiss professional secrecy applies from your first message.