Aston University has been awarded €1.4 million in European Union funding to lead a new cross-border initiative aimed at strengthening anti-money-laundering (AML) protections in cryptocurrency markets.
The four-year project, known as FORCE (Fostering Optimal Regulatory Compliance for Cryptocurrencies: An Interdisciplinary Approach), is backed by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Staff Exchange scheme. It will run until September 2029.
Bringing together partners from ten countries, including the UK, Greece, Italy, Germany and Ireland, the consortium combines expertise in AI, cryptography, financial regulation and blockchain analytics. The project is designed to address growing concerns that traditional AML systems are struggling to keep pace with decentralised finance (DeFi) and digital asset innovation.
Cryptocurrency ecosystems present distinct compliance challenges for anti-fraud professionals. Pseudonymous transactions, complex cross-border flows and rapidly evolving technologies have increased the sophistication of illicit finance risks. Regulators and financial institutions have faced mounting pressure to adapt frameworks originally designed for conventional banking environments.
FORCE aims to develop practical, real-time tools and regulatory insight to support regulators, law enforcement agencies, financial institutions and SMEs in identifying and responding to crypto-related financial crime. The project will also examine emerging issues such as quantum-safe cryptography and the regulatory implications of potential central bank digital currencies, including the digital euro.
A key component of the initiative will be international staff exchanges, workshops and training programmes to build specialist capability at the intersection of technology and regulation: an area increasingly critical for AML teams navigating digital asset exposure.
Professor Vladlena Benson, project coordinator at Aston University, said the initiative is focused on ensuring digital finance develops “within a framework of trust, accountability and resilience”.
Dr Bogdan Adamyk added that the project will combine blockchain analytics, AI and regulatory expertise to translate research into practical tools for compliance and enforcement professionals.
For anti-fraud leaders, the launch of FORCE reflects growing institutional recognition that crypto AML risk demands coordinated, technology-driven responses, and that cross-border collaboration will be central to safeguarding the integrity of the digital financial system.
