Irish central bank fines Coinbase Europe €21.5 m for AML breaches

The Central Bank of Ireland fined Coinbase Europe €21.5 million (about US$25 m) today for failing to meet anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing transaction-monitoring obligations. The fine highlights increasing regulatory scrutiny of crypto-exchanges in Europe and may prompt operational changes across the industry. Coinbase said it will cooperate and take steps to strengthen controls. Analysts note that higher compliance costs could weigh on margins across crypto exchanges, especially as global regulatory frameworks tighten.