The Cryptocurrency Tumblers: Risks, Legality and Oversight

Abstract

Services known as Cryptocurrency “Tumblers” obfuscate the provenance, possession, and movement of cryptocurrencies through a process of “mixing” . While this speaks to the cryptoanarchist philosophical roots of cryptocurrencies, it poses various forms of risks, particularly those subsumed by the anti-money laundering (AML) category. This discussion paper examines that dichotomy, between cryptoanarchism and oversight, through the Tumbler lens, so as to consider the regulation, oversight, and legality of Tumblers themselves.