In this guide 7 sections
Published by AML Certification Centre, the provider of CAPS. CCAS information comes from ACAMS’s programme page; prices checked on 12 November 2026.
ACAMS CCAS and CAPS at a glance.
CCAS, the Certified Cryptoasset AFC Specialist from ACAMS, is a specialist-level certification in crypto-related financial crime risk. It is global in scope and ends in a 100-question exam, taken at a Pearson VUE centre or with online proctoring. The redesigned CCAS, available from 19 November 2026, has four certificate courses with content from Chainalysis. The private-sector package costs US$2,095 + VAT, and ACAMS membership is required.
CAPS, the Certified Anti-Money Laundering Principal Specialist from AML Certification Centre, is the principal-level crypto compliance certification for the European Union. It is written for the officer who owns the AML function at a crypto-asset service provider: the MLRO, the Head of Compliance or the Head of AML. It follows MiCA, the AMLR, the Transfer of Funds Regulation and DORA, and it assesses your decisions in ten simulators before a final exam. CAPS costs €1,695, VAT included, paid once.
| What to compare | CCAS ACAMS | CAPS AML Certification Centre |
|---|---|---|
| Awarding organisation | ACAMS | AML Certification Centre |
| Level | Specialist level, as ACAMS describes it | Principal level: the officer who owns the function |
| Legal scope | Global: cryptoasset risks and regulatory frameworks | European Union: MiCA, the AMLR, the Transfer of Funds Regulation and DORA |
| Entry route | ACAMS membership and 40 eligibility credits | Eligibility review; at least four years of experience in the field |
| Learning | Four online certificate courses, a study guide, flashcards and a practice exam | 16 modules, 98 lessons and 10 decision simulators |
| Assessment | One proctored exam | 16 module assessments, 10 simulators and a final exam |
| Validity | Three years, then recertification | The certificate does not expire |
| Cost over three years | Up to US$3,520 + VAT, including membership and recertification | €1,695, paid once: no membership or recertification fees |
The two are independent, and some roles call for both: CCAS for crypto-asset risk across jurisdictions, CAPS for the EU rulebook and the decisions of the officer in charge.
If an employer, a client contract or a vacancy names CCAS, confirm that requirement before you treat another certificate as a substitute. CAPS is not an ACAMS qualification.
Provider information reviewed 12 November 2026. Prices are shown in their published currencies.
Who CCAS and CAPS are for.
The two certifications are written for different seats in the same function.
CCAS: specialist knowledge across the crypto sector
ACAMS describes CCAS as a specialist-level certification for anti-financial crime professionals who manage crypto-related risks: compliance, risk, investigations, sanctions and AML practitioners at financial institutions and digital asset businesses, as well as consultants, regulators and supervisors.
Candidates need an active ACAMS membership and 40 eligibility credits, earned through education, experience and training. ACAMS states that the programme’s own training is worth 12 of those credits.
CAPS: the officer who owns the function at an EU CASP
CAPS is principal-level learning for the people who lead AML at an EU crypto-asset service provider: the money laundering reporting officer (MLRO), the Head of Compliance, the Head of AML, and the managers and deputies who stand in for them.
Entry is subject to an eligibility review. The programme specifies at least four years of professional experience in the field, higher education or another high-level qualification, and a recognised AML qualification or equivalent recognition. CAPS is taught and assessed in English.
Compare the programmesCCAS and CAPS: the syllabus.
Both programmes cover crypto-asset risk and the controls that answer it. CCAS teaches the subject across jurisdictions. CAPS follows the EU instruments and the work of the officer in charge.
CCAS: four certificate courses
From 19 November 2026 the CCAS programme is made up of the four online courses below. ACAMS also sells each course on its own.
Cryptoassets and Blockchain
Financial Crime Risks and Regulatory Frameworks for Cryptoassets
AFC Compliance Programs for Cryptoassets
Crypto AFC Case Studies
The package adds a study guide, flashcards and a practice exam with 300 questions.
CAPS: sixteen modules in four parts
CAPS contains 98 lessons across 16 modules, with 10 decision simulators set in one case firm.
The principal’s foundations
- The CASP principal’s mandate
- Blockchain and crypto technology for decision-makers
- The crypto-asset universe and its risk profile
The EU legal architecture
- The EU regulatory architecture, 2026 to 2028
- MiCA services and authorisation
Running the function
- Governance, the risk assessment and risk appetite
- KYC, CDD and EDD at scale, monitoring and screening
- Crypto typologies, investigation and reporting to the FIU
- Data protection, DORA, audit and assurance
The principal layer
- Supervision, enforcement and personal accountability
- Capstone: leading through the transition
CAPS is taught in English and carries 60 CPD hours. Five to six weeks is the recommended learning timeline.
See the CAPS syllabusCAPS in practice: ten MLRO decision simulators.
A principal’s decisions do not arrive as multiple-choice questions. In CAPS, ten simulators put you in the seat of the officer who owns the function at Meridian Digital Markets, a fictional crypto-asset service provider in Frankfurt.
The inspection
Lead an on-site inspection from the first request for information to the exit meeting.
Your focus: answers that rest on evidence, and commitments that are resourced, dated and owned.
Skills developedRegulatory examinations
The risk assessment build
Build an enterprise-wide risk assessment, then defend it to the management body and the supervisor.
Your focus: a clear score and a defensible basis.
Skills developedEnterprise-wide risk assessment
The reporting line
Judge a report’s quality, decide whether to postpone a transaction, and end a relationship lawfully.
Your focus: a report an investigator can act on.
Skills developedFIU reporting & escalation
These are three of the ten simulators in the CAPS curriculum. Each is scored on the decisions you take.
Explore the CAPS practice experienceCCAS and CAPS: the exams.
Both end in an exam of 100 questions. They differ in where you sit it and in what comes before it.
CCAS
- Time
- 175 minutes
- Result
- Pass or fail
CAPS
- Time
- 180 minutes
- Pass threshold
- 75%
Sitting the CCAS exam
Once ACAMS approves your application, you have six months to take the exam, at a Pearson VUE centre or with online proctoring. You receive a pass or fail result at the end of the test.
Sitting the CAPS exam
The final exam takes place in the learning platform. Before it, you pass the 16 module assessments, each with 15 questions and a 70% threshold, and the ten simulators, each with a 66% threshold.
CCAS vs CAPS: the costs.
The package price is only part of a certification budget. Membership and recertification belong in the same calculation.
CCAS ACAMS
- Private-sector package
- US$2,095 + VAT
- Public-sector package
- US$1,595 + VAT
- Membership
- US$375 a year
- Recertification
- US$200 to US$300
Recertification is due every three years. Public-sector membership has its own rate.
Check current CCAS packagesCAPS AML Certification Centre
- 16 modules and 98 lessons
- Ten decision simulators
- Assessments and the final exam
- Optional membership
Cost over three years
| Cost | CCAS ACAMS, private sector | CAPS AML Certification Centre |
|---|---|---|
| One-time programme fee | US$2,095 + VAT | €1,695, VAT included |
| Annual membership | US$375 a year, required | Not required |
| Recertification | US$200 to US$300 every 3 years | Not required: the certificate does not expire |
| First-year total | US$2,470 + VAT | €1,695 |
| Three-year total | Up to US$3,520 + VAT | €1,695 |
Plan for the continuing commitment
CCAS requires ACAMS membership and recertification every three years, with 30 credits, at least 15 of them from ACAMS training or events. CAPS needs no membership and its certificate does not expire: AML Active is optional continuing learning.
For teams, a quotation should reflect the roles and the delivery you need.
Prices reviewed 12 November 2026. The applicable checkout or agreed quotation determines the purchase price.
Frequently asked questions
CCAS or CAPS: these answers bring the main differences together.
Are CCAS and CAPS the same qualification?
No. CCAS is awarded by ACAMS; CAPS is awarded by AML Certification Centre. They differ in level, legal scope and assessment. CAPS is not an ACAMS qualification or an automatic substitute where CCAS is specifically required.
How much does CCAS cost in total?
From 19 November 2026 the private-sector package is US$2,095 + VAT. Add US$375 a year for ACAMS membership and US$200 to US$300 to recertify every three years: up to US$3,520 + VAT over three years. CAPS costs €1,695, VAT included, paid once.
Is ACAMS membership required for CCAS?
Yes. ACAMS requires an active membership to obtain and to maintain CCAS. CAPS needs no membership: AML Active is optional continuing learning.
How long does CCAS certification last?
Three years. To recertify, ACAMS asks for 30 credits, at least 15 of them from ACAMS training or events, an active membership and a fee. The CAPS certificate does not expire.
What changes in CCAS from 19 November 2026?
ACAMS has redesigned the programme: four certificate courses, content from Chainalysis, new case studies and a practice exam with 300 questions. The exam has 100 questions and lasts 175 minutes.
Which fits an MLRO at an EU crypto-asset service provider?
It depends on the requirement you answer to. CCAS is a global, specialist-level certification. CAPS is written for the officer who owns the function under EU law: it follows MiCA, the AMLR, the Transfer of Funds Regulation and DORA, and it assesses the decisions of that role in ten simulators. Where an employer or a contract names CCAS, confirm that before choosing.
Does MiCA or the AMLR require a certificate for the MLRO?
No. Neither regulation names a certificate. MiCA requires a crypto-asset service provider to employ people “with the knowledge, skills and expertise necessary” for their responsibilities (Article 68(5)). From 10 July 2027 the AMLR adds a compliance officer appointed by the management body (Article 11), documented training fitted to each function (Article 12) and an assessment of the skills, knowledge and expertise of the people who take part in compliance (Article 13). National law and your supervisor may set further conditions for the role.
Can I hold both CCAS and CAPS?
Yes. The two are independent: CCAS covers crypto-asset risk across jurisdictions, CAPS the EU rulebook and the decisions of the officer in charge.
Your employer or your market names CCAS.
A target employer or a client contract names CCAS, you meet the 40-credit entry route, and the membership and recertification model fits your plans.
You own the AML function at an EU CASP.
You answer for the function under MiCA and the AMLR, and you want your decisions assessed in simulators, with a certificate that does not expire.
You can explore the CAPS syllabus, the simulators and the entry requirements before you request details. For an organisation, bring the roles and priorities you want the training to address.
See the learning.
Make an informed choice.
CCAS is an ACAMS certification. This guide is published independently by AML Certification Centre, an education provider in Tallinn, Estonia: registry code 16718573, Ministry of Education licence 261779, CPD Standards Office provider 50475. AML Certification Centre was selected by CEPOL through open competitive procurement, scored 95.80/100, to design, develop and deliver CEPOL’s Diploma Course on Financial Investigations, a separate programme from CAPS.
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