Nils Silinevics
Partner · AML & Crypto Compliance · Former FIU Investigator
CEX.IO is registered with FMA (Financial Market Authority) in Austria. That means we have a direct regulatory path to resolve your freeze. Swiss legal team with FMA expertise. 90%+ success rate.
CEX.IO holds FMA registration
FMA requires crypto service providers to register — under Austrian implementation of AMLD5; FMA is strict and transparent
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.
Good news: Since CEX.IO is registered with FMA (Financial Market Authority), we have a direct regulatory complaint path. If CEX.IO doesn't resolve your case within a reasonable time, we escalate to FMA (Financial Market Authority) — and the platform knows this.
under BWG §1(1) Z15-16 (crypto custody license, added 2020), you can complain to FMA; also Austrian Banking Ombudsman (Bankenombudsmann)
Under Austrian Banking Act (Bankwesengesetz, BWG) + AML Act (Geldwäschegesetz 2023, FM-GwG), CEX.IO must conduct customer due diligence and can freeze accounts during AML investigations. However, they must also:
If CEX.IO doesn't meet these obligations, we escalate to FMA (Financial Market Authority) and file a formal legal submission. For a broader comparison of how Austria's rules stack up against other jurisdictions, see our AML laws by country reference.
crypto taxed as 'other income' (sonstige Einkünfte) — flat 27.5% (or 25% for corporations); no holding-period exemption
If your CEX.IO account is frozen, you may still need to declare your crypto holdings on your Austria tax return — even if you can't access them. Under Austria law, the tax obligation may apply regardless of whether the funds are accessible. We recommend consulting a Austrian tax advisor.
If the freeze causes you to miss a tax deadline, we can provide documentation for the FMA (Financial Market Authority) and tax authority explaining the situation.
A Austrian client had €85000 frozen on CEX.IO after requesting a large withdrawal. CEX.IO flagged the transaction under Austrian Banking Act (Bankwesengesetz, BWG) + AML Act (Geldwäschegesetz 2023, FM-GwG). The client had no access to funds for 14 days. We filed a formal submission with CEX.IO's compliance team citing FMA (Financial Market Authority) guidelines and the client's transaction history. Within 14 days, CEX.IO released the funds after our submission demonstrated compliance with Austrian Banking Act (Bankwesengesetz, BWG) + AML Act (Geldwäschegesetz 2023, FM-GwG).
Details anonymized to protect client confidentiality. Swiss professional secrecy applies.
We analyze your CEX.IO account, transaction history, and Austria regulatory context to identify the exact trigger. Was it a Chainalysis risk flag? A sanctions screening match? A source-of-funds demand? Each requires a different strategy.
We prepare documentation compliant with Austrian Banking Act — not just CEX.IO's standard templates. This includes source-of-funds proof, transaction tracing, and any required FMA-specific forms.
We submit through CEX.IO's compliance channels — not standard support. Our submission is in German and references FMA guidelines. We also file a parallel complaint with FMA if needed.
We verify everything works and advise on preventing recurrence on CEX.IO. If CEX.IO doesn't respond within no statutory maximum; FMA expects 'timely' resolution — interpreted as 6-8 weeks, we escalate to FMA and pursue cross-jurisdictional action in UK (London) 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.