Crypto Law Profile

Mexico FinTech Law Article 58 AML/CFT General Provisions

Mexico’s Article 58 fintech AML/CFT provisions set due diligence, risk methodology, reporting, virtual-asset recordkeeping, systems, and governance duties for ITFs.

Mexico Effective Regulation Sep 11, 2018

At a glance

Jurisdiction Mexico; federal secondary AML/CFT regulation for fintech institutions.
Status In force since Sept. 11, 2018, with later reporting-format measures.
Regulated entities Applies to authorized ITFs and relevant authorized innovative-model companies.
Crypto relevance Includes virtual-asset recordkeeping, traceability, and report triggers.

Overview

The Disposiciones de carácter general a que se refiere el Artículo 58 de la Ley para Regular las Instituciones de Tecnología Financiera are Mexico’s federal AML/CFT secondary provisions for regulated financial technology institutions, or ITFs. Published by the Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público (SHCP) in the Diario Oficial de la Federación on Sept. 10, 2018, the provisions entered into force the next day, subject to transitional rules for reporting formats and implementation. As of June 30, 2026, this profile treats the instrument as in force, while noting later administrative measures affecting reporting channels.

Regulatory scope of Mexico’s Article 58 fintech provisions

The provisions implement Article 58 of Mexico’s FinTech Law, which requires ITFs to establish measures and procedures to prevent and detect acts, omissions, or operations that may relate to terrorism financing or money laundering offenses under the Federal Criminal Code. The official text states that the rules apply to accounts and contracts used by ITFs for regulated operations, whether opened directly or through authorized third parties.

The framework is aimed at institutions of collective financing and electronic payment funds, and may also apply to authorized innovative-model companies where their authorization makes the AML/CFT framework relevant. It is not a standalone crypto-asset market statute. Its crypto relevance comes from the treatment of “Activos Virtuales” within the AML/CFT controls imposed on ITFs.

Key obligations for ITFs

The provisions require ITFs to maintain a risk-based methodology covering products, services, customer types, geography, transaction channels, and technological infrastructure. The methodology must be implemented, reviewed, and updated when new risks arise or when the national risk assessment changes. The CNBV may review the methodology, order modifications, and request action plans.

Customer due diligence is central to the regime. ITFs must collect and maintain customer identification files, classify customers by risk grade, and apply enhanced measures where risk indicators arise. The framework also requires a Manual de Cumplimiento, annual training, an internal compliance structure, and audit or independent review of AML/CFT effectiveness.

Virtual asset reporting and recordkeeping

For these provisions, a virtual asset is an electronically registered representation of value used by the public as a means of payment and transferable only through electronic means, excluding legal tender, foreign currency, or assets denominated in legal tender or foreign currency. The text also limits covered virtual assets to those determined by Banco de México under the FinTech Law.

ITFs that conduct virtual-asset operations must retain the asset denomination or code, number of units, Mexican peso equivalent, and date of each operation. Article 74 requires quarterly reporting, within the first ten business days of January, April, July, and October, when a customer buys virtual assets with national currency or foreign currency, or sells virtual assets for legal tender, at or above the 7,500 UDI threshold.

Status, reporting formats, and 2026 simplification agreement

The 2018 transitional provisions made the general rules effective the day after publication, but tied the start of certain reporting submissions to official media and formats issued by SHCP or CNBV. SHCP/UIF issued official electronic formats in 2020 for compliance-officer, committee, and relevant, unusual, and internally concerning operation reports, and amended a field in those formats in 2021.

A CNBV administrative simplification agreement published on May 18, 2026, later eliminated several duplicate or obsolete CNBV filing homoclaves, including virtual-asset report trámites, citing Banco de México Circular 4/2019’s position on public-facing virtual-asset operations by financial institutions. The same agreement states that related Article 58 provisions and instruments should be adjusted within one year, and that the 2026 agreement governs until those updates are made. This profile should therefore be reviewed again before May 2027.

CryptoSlate editorial note

This profile covers the Article 58 AML/CFT provisions, not the full Mexican FinTech Law, not the CNBV operating rules for ITFs, and not Banco de México Circular 4/2019 as a standalone virtual-asset operations rule. It should be linked with Mexico, AML/CFT, Licensing & Registration, Payments, and Market Structure & Regulatory Perimeter taxonomy coverage.

Key provisions

AML/CFT controls

Requires ITFs to adopt measures to prevent and detect conduct linked to terrorism-financing and money-laundering provisions of the Federal Criminal Code.

AML/CFT Sep 11, 2018 Source

Risk-based methodology

Requires risk methodology covering products, clients, geography, channels, transactions, and technological infrastructure before new launches.

AML/CFT Sep 11, 2018 Source

Virtual-asset records

Defines virtual assets for these provisions and requires ITFs to keep virtual-asset operation data, including code, units, amount, and date.

AML/CFT Sep 11, 2018 Source

Virtual-asset reports

Requires reports for virtual-asset purchases or sales meeting the 7,500 UDI threshold, submitted through CNBV to SHCP/UIF.

Reporting Sep 11, 2018 Source

Systems and governance

Requires systems for secure reporting, customer-file retention, and virtual-asset traceability, plus compliance officer and committee oversight.

Governance Sep 11, 2018 Source

Timeline

  1. Parent FinTech Law published

    LRITF was published in DOF; Article 58 authorized SHCP AML/CFT provisions for ITFs.

    Enacted Source
  2. Article 58 provisions published

    SHCP published the general AML/CFT provisions referred to in Article 58 of the FinTech Law.

    Enacted Source
  3. Article 58 provisions in force

    Core provisions entered into force the day after publication, subject to transitory reporting rules.

    In force Source
  4. Official reporting formats issued

    UIF/SHCP issued SITI formats for officer, committee, relevant, unusual, and internal reports.

    Enacted Source
  5. Reporting-format reform published

    UIF/SHCP adjusted the subject-obligor key length in the official report formats.

    Enacted Source
  6. CNBV simplification agreement

    CNBV eliminated duplicate or obsolete filing homoclaves and called for Article 58 instrument updates.

    Enacted Source

Who it affects

Actors

Banco de México, Comisión Nacional Bancaria y de Valores, Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público, Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera

Asset classes

Virtual assets

Official sources

Editorial note

Profile covers the Article 58 AML/CFT general provisions for ITFs. It does not cover the full FinTech Law, CNBV operating rules for ITFs, or Banxico Circular 4/2019 as standalone profiles.