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New dataset provides registry-sourced records on the companies behind crypto exchanges and wallet providers
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, October 26, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Worldbox Business Intelligence today announced the launch of a dataset of company profiles for virtual asset service providers (VASPs), which are businesses that handle crypto assets for customers, such as exchanges, custodians, wallet providers and transfer services. The VASP dataset gives compliance teams information on the legal identity, ownership and control of these companies.
VASPs fall under the anti-money laundering standards of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), and therefore banks and fintechs that deal with them need to identify the company behind each one. Blockchain analytics tools can trace wallets and transactions, but they do not establish who owns or controls the company running a blockchain-based service. That information is held in company registries, filings and corporate documents.
FATF’s July 2026 update on virtual assets says jurisdictions still struggle to identify the natural and legal persons carrying out VASP activity, and that offshore VASPs remain a persistent challenge. Many of the jurisdictions with Travel Rule legislation, which requires VASPs to pass originator and beneficiary details along with transfers, have yet to take related supervisory or enforcement action. FATF also describes crypto-enabled illicit activity as increasingly complex and interconnected, including scam centre operations linked to organised crime.
How VASPs are identified today
Licensing and authorisation regimes are one way of identifying VASPs. In Singapore, VASPs are licensed and regulated as digital payment token service providers, and the Monetary Authority of Singapore said that, out of close to 300 licence applications, 37 are currently licensed, with most of the rest rejected or withdrawn. In the European Union, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) tells clients to verify whether their provider is authorised under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) in the ESMA Register, and says that unauthorised providers must wind down their EU activities.
Beyond the licence or authorisation itself, the owners, directors and parent companies behind a VASP are recorded in company registries and filings, which are held separately in each jurisdiction where a company is incorporated or operates.
What the new VASP dataset covers
Worldbox has identified four requirements in VASP counterparty due diligence that the company profiles are intended to address:
1. The right legal entity: Brand names, trading names and group companies can overlap. The entity named in the contract should match the entity in the official registry and the one holding any licence.
2. Ownership and control: The ultimate beneficial owners, the directors and the parent structures above the business, often spread across several jurisdictions, including offshore ones.
3. Documents: Certificates of incorporation, articles and government registry extracts that a reviewer, auditor or regulator can open and read.
4. Changes in records over time: Ownership and status can shift after onboarding, so a one-off check can go out of date.
The profiles build on Worldbox’s database of more than 500 million entities across over 240 jurisdictions, with data sourced directly from company registries and backed by original corporate documents.
“Blockchain analytics show where funds went. They do not show who stands behind the exchange that received them,” said Adrian Ashurst, CEO of Worldbox Business Intelligence. “The VASP dataset is intended to answer that second question with company records that a compliance team can open and verify.”
About Worldbox Business Intelligence
Worldbox Business Intelligence is a business intelligence provider with offices in Zurich, Singapore and other locations. It provides worldwide business intelligence and investigation services, including financial data, ultimate beneficial owner (UBO) and offline research, company profiles, and credit and due diligence reports.
Website: worldbox.net
Media contact: Edward Sornio, esornio@worldbox.net
Edward Sornio
Worldbox Business Intelligence
esornio@worldbox.net
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