Anti-Money Laundering Control in Real Estate Transactions: Beneficial Owner Identification, Crypto-Mediated Settlements, and the Limits of Private Law Autonomy for Participants
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55544/ijrah.5.6.40Keywords:
anti-money laundering control, beneficial owner, identification, real estate transactions, cryptocurrency, digital financial assets, private-law autonomy, AML/CFT, Rosfinmonitoring, FATFAbstract
The relevance of combating money laundering through real estate transactions is driven by the steady growth of dubious transactions in this sector of the Russian economy: according to Rosfinmonitoring, their volume reached 247 billion rubles in 2024, a 67% increase compared to 2020. The objective of this study is to comprehensively analyze the legal framework for anti-money laundering control in real estate transactions, focusing on three key areas: beneficial owner identification, legalization of crypto-mediated settlements, and determining the permissible limits of private law autonomy. The methodology is based on a comparative legal and systemic analysis of Russian legislation, FATF standards, EU directives, and regulatory practices in the US and UAE. The results demonstrate that Russian regulation has structural gaps in identifying beneficiaries in multi-tiered corporate structures and does not provide a special regime for digital asset transactions in the real estate sector. The author's model of the limits of private-law autonomy and a system of risk-based recommendations enhance the practical value of the work. The article's materials will be of interest to lawyers, compliance specialists, notaries, and AML/CFT regulators.
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