By ยท ยท last updated 2026-08-05

KYC vs AML vs Sanctions Screening

The three compliance layers - identity (KYC), behavior (AML), prohibition (sanctions) - and how they fit together in one stack.

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KYC, AML, and sanctions screening are three different questions. Teams that conflate them build stacks with gaps.

KYC - who are you?

Identity verification at onboarding: documents, beneficial ownership, and the 50% rule.

AML - is the behavior suspicious?

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Ongoing monitoring: transaction patterns, red flags, and escalation. Probabilistic, not deterministic.

Sanctions - may we deal with you?

The prohibition check: is the counterparty on the list? Deterministic, runs on every transaction.

The stack

KYC at onboarding, AML monitoring over time, and sanctions screening on every payment. The KYC vs screening and AML vs screening pages cover the boundaries in depth.

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