Belgium’s Financial Watchdog Updates Crypto-Related Blacklist to Total of 120 Websites

Belgium’s Financial Services and Markets Authority (FSMA) has updated a blacklist of crypto-related websites associated with fraud, according to an official statement on April 4.

Following a previous crypto-related scam blacklist update in December 2018, the FSMA has added seven new crypto trading platforms where it has found signs of fraud.

The blacklist now includes a total of 120 websites.

In the statement, the financial authority noted that it continued to receive new complaints of consumers who invested in cryptocurrencies on those trading platforms, adding that crypto fraud is still taking place in Belgium.

Similar to the previous update, the FSMA wrote that the list of crypto-related websites is based solely on the findings of the authority, in particular as a result of user reports. The regulator warned that the blacklist does not include all the companies that might be operating illegally in Belgium in the crypto industry.

Last year, Belgian financial authority FPS Economy (FPS) launched a website to raise awareness of the risks associated with crypto investment. According to the FPS, Belgian investors reported losses of about $2.5 million in crypto scams in 2017, which is evaluated to account for only four percent of overall crypto fraud cases, with the total losses estimated to amount to $152 million.

Yesterday, the European Union launched the International Association of Trusted Blockchain Applications (INATBA) in Brussels, Belgium. The new blockchain alliance’s charter was signed by more than 100 members including global tech giant IBM, Accenture and Deutsche Telekom, as well as blockchain-related firms such as Ripple, Iota and ConsenSys.