Nils Silinevics
Partner · AML & Crypto Compliance · Former FIU Investigator
Coinbase 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.
Coinbase holds FMA registration in Austria — fully compliant
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 Coinbase is registered with FMA (Financial Market Authority), we have a direct regulatory complaint path. If Coinbase 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), Coinbase must conduct customer due diligence and can freeze accounts during AML investigations. However, they must also:
If Coinbase 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 Coinbase 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's bank blocked a fiat withdrawal from Coinbase to their Austria bank account. The bank cited Austrian Banking Act (Bankwesengesetz, BWG) + AML Act (Geldwäschegesetz 2023, FM-GwG) and requested source-of-funds documentation. We coordinated between Coinbase, the bank, and FMA (Financial Market Authority) to resolve the compliance hold. We resolved the case by filing a complaint with FMA (Financial Market Authority) and simultaneously submitting documentation to Coinbase.
Details anonymized to protect client confidentiality. Swiss professional secrecy applies.
We analyze your Coinbase account, transaction history, and Austria regulatory context to identify the exact trigger. Was it a TRM Labs 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 Coinbase's standard templates. This includes source-of-funds proof, transaction tracing, and any required FMA-specific forms.
We submit through Coinbase'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 Coinbase. If Coinbase 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 USA (Delaware incorporation) 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.