Emerging threats around cryptocurrencies and corruption in focus at panel discussion at 7th Political Integrity Bootcamp

Participants explored the challenges and opportunities of virtual assets and cryptocurrencies at the 'Crypto and Corruption: Addressing Emerging Threats in the Digital Era' panel discussion organized by the Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities (OCEEA) at the 7th Political Integrity Bootcamp.

The Bootcamp is an annual event jointly organized by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Transparency International (TI). This year's edition focused on addressing strategic corruption and advancing political integrity.

The panel discussion brought together experts and practitioners from the OSCE, the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, and the National Anticorruption Center of Moldova.

They explored how virtual assets and cryptocurrencies can be abused for corruption, money laundering, and illicit finance, while also offering opportunities to enhance transparency and accountability through technological innovation. They also shared insights on how effective regulation, capacity-building, and international co-operation can support participating States in responding to these evolving threats.

The panel discussion was also an opportunity for the OSCE and TI to further strengthen their co-operation, expertise sharing, and outreach efforts around virtual assets and corruption.

This event was part of activities around the OSCE's extrabudgetary project, "Innovative policy solutions to mitigate money-laundering risks of virtual assets." The project is implemented by OCEEA with financial support from Germany, Italy, Poland, Romania, the United Kingdom and the United States.