The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has proposed requiring issuers of payment stablecoins to implement anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing programs, as well as compliance with sanctions regimes.

According to the initiative, companies issuing stablecoins will need to establish systems for detecting and preventing illegal activities. Specifically, this includes blocking suspicious transactions and freezing funds when necessary. Additionally, each issuer will be required to appoint a compliance officer — who must be an employee based in the U.S. with no criminal record for financial crimes.

It is expected that stablecoin issuers will be classified as financial institutions under the Bank Secrecy Act. OFAC plans to mandate that stablecoin creators undergo regular audits and cooperate with law enforcement agencies to identify and prevent financial crimes involving stablecoins.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explained that the initiative aims to protect the U.S. financial system from national security threats without restricting the activities of American companies operating in the payments and stablecoin sectors. The Treasury is open to public comments for 60 days.

The proposed measures are developed under the GENIUS Act regulating stablecoins, signed into law by U.S. President Donald Trump in July 2025. The document states that the issuance of payment stablecoins is only possible through subsidiaries of insured financial institutions or with special regulatory approval.