Hacked Crypto Exchange Coincheck Confirms Removal of Four Anonymity-Focused Altcoins

Recently hacked Japanese crypto exchange Coincheck will end trading for four privacy-oriented cryptocurrencies, Monero (XMR), Zcash (ZEC), Dash (DASH), and Augur (REP), Cointelegraph Japan reported May 18.

Following reports from back in March, the exchange has now officially confirmed the removal of the four anonymity-focused coins will come into effect June 18. According to Coincheck’s blog, the exchange will remove the four cryptocurrencies to comply with counter-terrorist financing (CFT) and anti-money laundering (AML) measures recently issued by Japan’s financial regulator, the Financial Services Agency (FSA).

The FSA has been especially active in regulating domestic crypto exchanges, specifically around customer protection, since Coincheck lost $532 mln in NEM in  a major hack in January of this year.

As part of its efforts, the FSA has stated that local, officially registered exchanges will face restrictions on the trading of privacy-focused altcoins, since they are more difficult to trace than cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin (BTC).

As Friday’s official statement from the exchange says, the targeted cryptocurrencies will be sold at market price and converted to Japanese yen.

Earlier this week, Monex Inc, the company that recently acquired Coincheck, revealed plans to expand the exchange to the U.S., claiming that the U.S. and Europe are more advanced than Japan in terms of regulatory clarity and “attracting institutional investors” to crypto.