Stablecoin issuer / redeemer in Bulgaria

Measures Against Money Laundering Act (MAMLA) (Закон за мерките срещу изпирането на пари - ЗМИП).

This act defines "virtual assets" and "virtual asset service providers" and brings them within the scope of obliged entities. It outlines the specific requirements for customer due diligence, reporting, and record-keeping.

Exchange between virtual assets and fiat currencies.

Transfer of virtual assets.

Safekeeping and/or administration of virtual assets or instruments enabling control over virtual assets.

Participation in and provision of financial services related to an issuer’s offer and/or sale of a virtual asset are subject to AML/CFT regulation and are treated as financial activities for regulated virtual asset and stablecoin issuers.

In Bulgaria, AML/CFT supervision of VASPs is shared among multiple authorities, with the National Revenue Agency (NRA) as the leading registration and enforcement body, the Financial Supervision Commission (FSC) overseeing crypto-asset service providers within its regulatory perimeter, and DANS-FID retaining a role but no longer the sole or primary supervisor.

Role: This is Bulgaria's Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). It is the primary recipient of Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) and other AML-related information from obliged entities. SANS is responsible for analyzing suspicious activities and disseminating intelligence to law enforcement.

National Revenue Agency (NRA) (Национална агенция за приходите - НАП)

Role: The NRA is responsible for the registration and general supervision of VASPs for AML/CFT purposes. VASPs in Bulgaria are typically required to register with the NRA and demonstrate compliance with AML obligations. The NRA may conduct inspections and impose administrative sanctions for non-compliance.

Bulgarian law now mandates continuous identification and verification of beneficial owners, requiring ongoing monitoring and periodic updates beyond a static registration step.

Natural Persons: Name, date and place of birth, nationality, permanent address, unique identification number (e.g., national ID card, passport number). Identity must be verified using reliable, independent source documents or data (e.g., valid official identification document).

Legal Entities: Company name, legal form, registration number, registered address, and the names of the individuals authorized to represent the company. Verification involves obtaining extracts from commercial registers or similar official documents.

Bulgarian law now mandates continuous identification and verification of beneficial owners, requiring ongoing monitoring and periodic updates beyond a static registration step.

For legal entities, VASPs must identify the natural person(s) who ultimately own or control the customer, typically defined as holding 25% plus one share or more of the voting rights or exercising control via other means. This information must also be verified.

Understanding the Purpose and Intended Nature of the Business Relationship:

VASPs must gather information on why the customer wants to use their services, the expected transaction patterns, and the source of funds/wealth where relevant.

Regular scrutiny of transactions undertaken throughout the course of the business relationship to ensure they are consistent with the VASP's knowledge of the customer, their business, and risk profile.

Keeping customer documents, data, and information up-to-date.

Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs): Customers who hold or have held prominent public functions, their family members, or close associates.

High-Risk Third Countries: Transactions involving customers or beneficial owners from countries identified by the EU or FATF as having strategic AML/CFT deficiencies.

Complex, Unusual, Large Transactions, or Unusual Patterns: Transactions that have no apparent economic or lawful purpose.

The NRA has issued various clarifications and methodologies on the tax treatment of virtual currencies, but these have been superseded by Bulgaria's full adoption of the EU's MiCAR framework, which now governs crypto-asset regulation and tax treatment.