Which service is being used?
Exchange, transfer and custody services each shape how a customer can move or hold virtual assets.
AML Foundations · Virtual assets
AML Foundations.Virtual assets pathway
Understand how virtual-asset services create financial-crime risk. Learn blockchain essentials, laundering patterns and AML controls for exchanges, custody and other crypto businesses.
For newcomers, industry switchers and teams building a shared AML baseline.
Online · Self-paced · Industry track in English
€499Full pathway · One-time fee
Enrol in the pathwayContinue in the learning platform to enrol.
Not sure this is your level? Take the free AML check
Learning for your teamCore AML knowledge + Virtual assets
Request a team quote- Core CPD hours
- 12AML Foundations included
- Industry CPD hours
- 4About 4 study hours
- Industry lessons
- 4Virtual assets
- Self-paced learning
- OnlineStudy in English
Already have AML Foundations?
Add the industry track · €120 Complete the core before starting the track.Build the knowledge for your role
A stronger foundation for your work.
For people entering crypto, moving from traditional finance or building AML knowledge for a role at a virtual-asset business.
- Onboarding, KYC and customer-operations staff.
- AML and monitoring analysts moving into crypto.
- Early-career compliance staff at exchanges, custodians and wallet providers.
What you will learn
- 01
Explain how exchange, transfer and custody services create different AML risks.
- 02
Recognise concealment patterns involving wallets, mixers and other virtual-asset activity.
- 03
Understand the purpose of the Travel Rule and the controls used by VASPs and CASPs.
The industry context
Understand what
changes the risk.
The sector lessons connect the AML framework to these questions about how the industry works.
What can the activity tell you?
Pseudonymity, unhosted wallets and obfuscation affect how transaction information should be understood.
What information supports a transfer?
The Travel Rule concerns originator and beneficiary information alongside qualifying virtual-asset transfers.
Topics you will encounter
- Exchange and transfer services
- Custody and wallet services
- Unhosted-wallet interactions
- Mixers and obfuscation
- Wallet sanctions exposure
- Cross-border Travel Rule data
Your learning pathway
Learn the core.
Understand your industry.
Build the AML knowledge first. Then explore the business model, risks and controls specific to virtual assets.
How you study
Study online at your own pace. Complete the AML Foundations core, including knowledge checks, the Analyst’s Desk capstone and the core exam. Then study four industry lessons and take the separate track assessment.
02 · Virtual assets
4 lessons · 4 CPD hours01Understanding VASPs & Blockchain
What a virtual asset service provider is, how blockchain records value transfers, what wallets and mining do, and how cryptocurrencies, tokens, stablecoins and NFTs differ.
02VASP Services & Where the Risk Lives
How exchange, transfer, custody and wallet services work, and how product features such as speed, reach and self-custody shape risk.
03ML/TF Risks Specific to Crypto
Why crypto is pseudonymous rather than anonymous, how mixers, unhosted wallets, darknet markets and privacy-enhancing tools can affect an assessment, and how laundering and terrorist-financing patterns differ.
04How VASPs Are Regulated & Controlled
The purpose of the FATF Travel Rule, the control tools used by VASPs, the roles of the three lines, and how the regulatory approach differs across the EU, United States and United Kingdom.
Complete AML Foundations to unlock the industry track.
Assessment & your learning record
Show what you have learned.
Complete each part of the pathway and keep a record of your achievement.
Core programme
12 CPD hours
AML FoundationsChapter knowledge checks, a capstone and a final examination with a 75% pass threshold.
Industry track
4 CPD hours
Virtual assetsFour lessons followed by a final assessment with a 70% pass threshold. Certificate issued on completion.
How the industry assessment works
The industry track ends with a multiple-choice assessment. The pass threshold is 70%, with three attempts available. Your progress, result and completion are recorded in the learning platform.
How the two awards fit together
AML Foundations awards 12 CPD hours. The industry track awards a further 4 CPD hours and its own completion certificate. Complete the core before starting the track.
How this fits with your employer’s training
This is a foundation in crypto AML, not training on a particular blockchain-analytics platform and not legal advice for a CASP authorisation. It builds the business, risk and control vocabulary needed before tool-specific or jurisdiction-specific work.
Before your
final exam.
For the AML Foundations core examination. Review the exam instructions and retake conditions in your learning platform before starting.
- Independent work
- This is independent, closed-book work. No AI assistants, course materials, external references or help from another person.
- Confidential content
- Keep questions, scenarios and answers confidential. Do not copy, photograph, screenshot or share examination content.
- One timed sitting
- Plan for one timed sitting. Check the exam instructions for the time limit, permitted breaks and retake conditions.
AML Active
Keep learning. Keep the evidence.
Practical tools, live expert sessions and a record of your continuing development.
Optional membership, separate from your qualification. It never changes the status of a certificate you hold.
Explore membership- Tools for your work
Explore risk. Find original sources. Understand the pattern.
- Live learning and CPD
Learn and connect with an average of 150 professionals per session.
- A short course, each year
One included course credit.
Perspectives from AML Foundations learners.
98% satisfied
The share of satisfied or very satisfied AML Foundations end-of-course responses.
For your organisation
One AML baseline.
Relevant to your team.
Give your people the shared core and the industry context they need. Add training tailored to your policies, products and risks, with reporting on learning progress and completion.
Your next step
Build towards specialist responsibilities.
When your role calls for deeper AML analysis and senior specialist responsibilities, explore CASS, our practitioner certification.
Explore CASSWorking towards crypto compliance leadership? Explore CAPS.
Other industry tracks.
Compare your optionsFrequently asked questions
Find the details you need to plan your learning.
Choosing the programme
Do I need previous AML experience?
No. The full pathway includes AML Foundations. Complete the core programme first, then move into the four industry lessons. It also suits professionals moving into this sector who need its business and risk context.
What if I already have AML Foundations?
If you already own the core programme in your learning account, the industry track is €120. You must complete AML Foundations before you can begin the track. Sign in to the same account to see your enrolment option.
Is this a VASP or CASP course?
Both terms matter. VASP is the FATF term used internationally; CASP is the term used in the EU crypto-asset framework. The course teaches the operating model and AML risks that sit underneath both.
Does it cover the Travel Rule?
Yes. The sector lessons explain the purpose of the Travel Rule and its place within the controls used by virtual-asset businesses.
Does it cover MiCA?
The EU regulatory context is introduced where it helps explain CASP services, authorisation scope and controls. The course also compares the broader supervisory approach in the United States and United Kingdom. Local legal advice remains separate.
Will I learn to use blockchain investigation software?
This is a foundation in virtual-asset services, AML risks and controls. It prepares you to understand the context; training on a particular investigation platform is separate.
Learning and assessment
How is the pathway delivered, and how long does it take?
Study online at your own pace. The core is listed at around 10 study hours, with approximately four further hours for the industry track. Allow additional time according to your revision and assessment needs. Complete the core before starting the track.
Which language is the industry track available in?
The industry track is taught in English. The included AML Foundations core is available in English and Spanish.
How are the core and industry track assessed?
The core includes chapter knowledge checks, the Analyst’s Desk capstone and a final examination. The four-lesson industry track has its own final assessment. Meet the requirements for each stage to receive its separate award.
See assessment requirementsHow many CPD hours and certificates will I receive?
The core AML Foundations programme awards 12 CPD hours. The industry track awards a further 4 CPD hours and its own completion certificate after you pass its assessment. These are separate awards.
Fees and access
What does lifetime access include?
Where lifetime access is offered, it covers the programme edition you purchased for as long as the Learning Platform operates. Future editions and regulatory refreshes are separate from that purchase. Necessary corrections remain included. The Learning Platform Terms explain access and updates.
Read the access termsWhat support is available while I study?
Contact us for help with your learning account, enrolment or questions about the programme. If you need an accessibility arrangement or have a question about using the platform for an exam, discuss it with us before enrolling.
Contact learner supportCan my employer pay or enrol a team?
Yes. Your employer can order seats for named learners in the learning platform and pay by invoice. For tailored learning or live sessions, talk to us first.
Order seats on invoiceVirtual assets pathway
AML Foundations.
Build your foundation. Apply it to your industry.
€499Total programme fee
AML Foundations core and industry track included.
Complete the core before starting the track.
Create your learning account to continue to enrolment.
Virtual assets pathway
AML Foundations.
Develop your team’s knowledge and judgement.
Learning for your team
Discuss participant numbers, access and your learning needs.
Request a team quotePlan learning around your team’s responsibilities.