With more deliberate digital asset rulemaking from legislators and regulators through 2025, compliance has become more important than ever inside the industry. The broader embrace of digital assets has also meant a recognition of how the underlying technology can help companies and individuals stay compliant. Between a sweep of new crypto rulemaking and a growing number of blockchain-powered tools aimed at helping adhere to them, compliance was a big part of the digital asset story in 2025. On top of that, the perceived anonymity of many blockchain implementations poses unique challenges for regulated entities as they must grapple with new methods of money laundering and sanctions evasion, even as blockchain can simplify other aspects of compliance.
Take the blockchain’s core value proposition, immutability: a blockchain is an immutable ledger, and increasingly, businesses are recording transaction data on-chain rather than sticking to legacy—even paper—systems. This ensures the full glut of transaction information is permanently available and reliable, enabling real-time audits and obviating the need for quarterly reporting. In 2025, financial institutions began leveraging this feature, with SWIFT announcing a blockchain-based ledger for its systems. Smart contracts underpin SWIFT’s plans by validating transactions against predefined rules—such as those prescribed by the Transfer of Funds regulation—and can automate suspicious-transaction reporting before processing.
The World Bank is taking similar steps with FundsChain, a blockchain project to improve transparency and auditability of the flow of funds from donors and lenders through to the ultimate beneficiaries around the world. It aims to list 250 World Bank projects on FundsChain by 2026, accounting for over 70% of the World Bank’s project financing. FundsChain allows everyone involved in a project—development partners, borrowers, auditors, and payment recipients—to track disbursements and to monitor how funds are used, setting a new standard for transparency and accountability. Regulators underscored compliance risk in 2025 with penalties for AML lapses, including Revolut’s €3.5 million fine in Lithuania and UK penalties of £42 million for Barclays and £21 million for Monzo, with Monzo’s onboarding practices highlighted as a weakness.
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