Germany plans to include cryptocurrency accounts in its regulatory inquiry system; accounts suspected of money laundering may be frozen for up to five working days.

Germany’s Federal Ministry of Finance on Oct. 28 proposed anti-money-laundering rules that would add crypto accounts to the existing bank-account query system, requiring crypto asset service providers to report account numbers, holder identities and opening dates—but not balances or transaction records. The draft would also let the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) freeze crypto accounts linked to suspected money laundering for up to five business days, with holder objections not automatically lifting the freeze. The proposal remains in inter-ministerial coordination and is not yet in force; the new AML law is targeted for July 10, 2027, subject to final legislative confirmation. It matters because Europe’s largest economy is moving to bring crypto accounts into the same supervisory visibility as bank accounts while granting its FIU short-term freeze powers. Next, watch the final legislative text for any changes to reporting scope and freeze authority before the 2027 implementation date.