It looks like the US government is moving faster than most expected when it comes to locking down crypto. First came the big seizures this year (over $225M confiscated by DOJ in June), and now they’re laying the groundwork for mandatory AML checks on every wallet.
We’ve all heard rumors about “compliance deadlines,” but this article lays it out in black and white: by February 1, 2026, if your wallet can’t prove AML clearance, you could be cut off entirely. That’s not just centralized exchanges — even independent wallets are getting flagged by AI-driven analysis. Innocent users who got dusted tokens are already getting their funds frozen.
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Here’s the article I came across: 👉
Mandatory AML Wallet Compliance Checks: The Crypto Owner’s Must-Do Before February 1, 2026What’s interesting is that it doesn’t just scream “regulation is coming,” it gives some of the numbers and blueprint of how the US (and EU) plan to enforce this. For anyone trying to keep control of their assets, it’s worth a read.
It really raises the bigger question: are these AML checks about crime prevention, or about governments gaining leverage over crypto and choking off what was meant to be decentralized?