Certified Fintech and Digital Assets Financial Crime Specialist
A specialist qualification addressing financial-crime risk within fintech, digital assets and virtual-asset service providers, covering wallet and blockchain analytics, custody, tokenisation, cross-border transfers and emerging-technology compliance controls.
What This Certification Covers
The Certified Fintech and Digital Assets Financial Crime Specialist certification equips professionals with the specialised knowledge and skills needed to understand, assess and mitigate the financial crime risks associated with digital financial services and virtual assets, and to build effective compliance programmes within fintech companies, payment and virtual asset service providers, digital banks and regulatory bodies.
The certification develops participants' ability to understand fintech business models and blockchain technology, apply AML/CTF requirements to digital products, perform due diligence and digital identity verification, and analyse and trace crypto-asset transactions. It emphasises practical application and case studies, compliance with emerging international regulatory frameworks, and the use of regulatory technology and artificial intelligence in monitoring, detection and reporting.
Like every ACS credential, the CCDS is awarded only after a formal assessment of defined qualification outcomes — evaluating understanding, application and professional judgement, not attendance alone.
What You Will Be Able to Do
- Understand the fintech and digital assets landscape and the international and local regulatory frameworks that govern it
- Assess money laundering, terrorist financing and fraud risks associated with digital financial products and services
- Apply due diligence and digital identity verification procedures suited to digital business models
- Analyse and trace crypto-asset transactions using blockchain analytics tools
- Design risk-based compliance programmes for fintech companies and virtual asset service providers
- Use regulatory technology and artificial intelligence to monitor transactions and detect and report suspicious activity
The CCDS Programme in 8 Modules
01The Fintech and Digital Assets Landscape5 topics
- Fintech business models: payments, digital lending, digital banking and open finance
- Fundamentals of blockchain and distributed ledger technology
- Types of digital assets: cryptocurrencies, stablecoins and non-fungible tokens (NFTs)
- Central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and the future of money
- Decentralised finance (DeFi) and related platforms and protocols
02Regulatory Frameworks and International Standards6 topics
- FATF Recommendations on virtual assets and virtual asset service providers (VASPs)
- The Travel Rule and its implementation requirements
- Regional and international crypto-asset regulatory frameworks (such as MiCA)
- Licensing and registration requirements for fintech companies
- Regulatory sandboxes and their role in innovation
- Enforcement trends and regulatory penalties in the digital sector
03Financial Crime Risks in Digital Financial Services6 topics
- Money laundering typologies through e-wallets and payment services
- Use of crypto-assets in money laundering and terrorist financing
- Mixers, privacy-enhanced coins and cross-chain bridges
- Digital fraud and crypto investment scams
- Ransomware, darknet markets and their links to crypto-assets
- Sanctions evasion using digital assets
04Due Diligence and Digital Identity Verification5 topics
- Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements in a digital environment
- Electronic identity verification (eKYC) and biometrics
- Identity theft, synthetic identities and deepfake risks
- Enhanced due diligence for high-risk customers and transactions
- Due diligence on counterparties and other service providers
05Blockchain Analytics and Tracing of Crypto-Assets6 topics
- Fundamentals of on-chain transaction analysis
- Blockchain analytics tools and wallet risk scoring
- Tracing funds across addresses and different networks
- Red flags in crypto-asset transactions
- Freezing, seizing and recovering crypto-assets
- Case studies of international digital asset crime cases
06Building Compliance Programmes in Fintech Companies6 topics
- Enterprise-wide risk assessment for fintech companies and virtual asset providers
- Designing policies and procedures that keep pace with growth and innovation
- Assessing new product risks before launch (Compliance by Design)
- Managing relationships with correspondent banks and service partners
- Governance and the role of the compliance officer in startups
- Suspicious activity reporting and engagement with regulators
07Transaction Monitoring, Regulatory Technology and Artificial Intelligence6 topics
- Real-time transaction monitoring in digital payments and crypto-assets
- Using regulatory technology (RegTech) in compliance work
- Applying artificial intelligence and machine learning to detect unusual activity
- Sanctions screening in a digital environment
- Governance and explainability of AI models
- Supervisory technology (SupTech) and the future of digital supervision
08Cybersecurity, Data Protection and Consumer Protection5 topics
- Cyber threats targeting fintech and digital asset platforms
- Digital asset custody and private key management
- Data protection, privacy and related compliance requirements
- Consumer protection and risk disclosure in digital products
- Integration of compliance, cybersecurity and incident management functions
Built for These Roles
- Compliance officers in fintech companies and digital banks
- Staff of virtual asset service providers (VASPs) and crypto exchanges
- Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing (AML/CTF) specialists
- Staff of payment service providers and e-wallet providers
- Financial crime and cybercrime investigators and analysts
- Product, risk and audit managers in financial institutions
- Entrepreneurs and founders of fintech startups
- Staff of regulators, financial intelligence units and law enforcement agencies
- Legal and regulatory advisors and experts in digital compliance
How the CCDS Is Assessed
- 01
The exam is administered through an accredited testing centre
- 02
The computer-based exam consists of 100 multiple-choice questions
- 03
Passing score: 70%
- 04
Exam duration: 3 hours
Unless otherwise stated, candidates must achieve a minimum assessment score of 70%. Full entry requirements and the certification process are listed on the Certifications.
Start the CCDS Certification
Registration opens on a rolling basis through ACS or an authorised ACS centre. Reach out and our team will walk you through eligibility, registration and assessment windows.
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