2021-10-18
The National Bank of Serbia issued this Decision to mandate specific record-keeping standards for virtual currency service providers holding user money or virtual currencies. The regulation requires providers to maintain separate bank accounts for user funds, define precise data fields for individual and omnibus accounts, and ensure immediate recording of all transactions and balance updates. Furthermore, it stipulates that records must be kept electronically, remain accurate and transparent, and comply with personal data protection and business secret laws.
RS Official Gazette, No 49/2021 Pursuant to Article 10, paragraph 1, and Article 78, paragraph 5 of the Law on Digital Assets (RS Official Gazette, No 153/2020) and Article 18, paragraph 1, item 3 of the Law on the National Bank of Serbia (RS Official Gazette, Nos 72/2003, 55/2004, 85/2005 – other law, 44/2010, 76/2012, 106/2012, 14/2015, 40/2015 ‒ CC decision and 44/2018), the Governor of the National Bank of Serbia hereby issues D E C I S I O N ON THE CONTENTS AND FORM OF RECORDS KEPT BY THE VIRTUAL CURRENCY SERVICE PROVIDER WHICH HOLDS USER MONEY AND/OR VIRTUAL CURRENCIES Introductory provision 1 This Decision regulates in more detail the contents and form of records kept by a provider of digital asset services in the part of operations pertaining to virtual currencies, which holds the money and/or virtual currencies of virtual currency users (hereinafter: service provider). Meaning of terms 2. For the purposes of this Decision, the following definitions shall apply:
2 virtual currencies 3. A service provider shall keep user money in account with the bank separate from the money account of that service provider, and no special consent by the user or authorisation for opening that account shall be necessary. The service provider may keep the user’s money in one or more accounts. By way of exception from paragraph 2 hereof, the service provider may keep the money of the user who is a natural person in an omnibus account. The service provider may use the user’s money it holds only for the payment of liabilities related to virtual currency services for which it is licensed by the National Bank of Serbia. 4. The service provider who holds the users’ virtual currencies may keep the data on such virtual currencies in one or more virtual currency addresses, as well as in the omnibus address of virtual currencies. The omnibus address of virtual currencies referred to in this paragraph means a virtual currency address that contains data on virtual currencies of more than one user. Contents of the records 5. The service provider shall keep in the records the following data about each individual user whose money and/or virtual currencies it holds:
3 service provider, with the designation showing if it is an individual or an omnibus address and if the money is kept in several accounts, and/or if the data on virtual currencies are in several virtual currency addresses – numbers of all accounts and business names of all banks, and/or all virtual currency addresses; 4) data about the balance of user money and/or virtual currencies which that service provider holds, for each individual user account, including omnibus accounts, if in accordance with Section 3, paragraph 3 of this Decision the users’ money may be kept in an omnibus account, for which the exact portion of the user’s assets kept in that omnibus account is specified, and/or for each individual virtual currency address, including omnibus addresses for which the exact portion of the users’ virtual currencies which are kept in that address is specified; 5) legal grounds authorising the service provider to hold the user’s money and/or virtual currencies (contract, with the contract date and number); 6) data about the user’s orders related to money and/or virtual currencies held by that service provider (the time of submission and records number of such order, rejected orders with reasons for rejection, etc.), which are automatically (electronically) connected with orders from the book of users’ orders which the service provider keeps in accordance with the Law; 7) all changes of data from items 1) to 6) hereof, with the description of the change and date of change (e.g. change of the address of the user’s permanent residence and/or head office, change of the type of a virtual currency service in relation to which the money is kept, change of the account in which the user’s money is kept); 8) service provider’s notes in relation to the user’s money and/or virtual currencies it holds (e.g. delay in the settlement of user’s monetary liabilities). 6. If in accordance with Section 3, paragraph 3 of this Decision the user’s money is held in the omnibus account, the service provider shall keep in the records the data about the total money balance in that account and about the balance of money of each individual user held in that account. Paragraph 1 hereof shall also accordingly apply to the omnibus address of virtual currencies. 7. After the execution of a virtual currency transaction, and/or provision of a virtual currency service by using the user’s money and/or virtual currencies it holds, the service provider shall immediately enter into records the following data about such user:
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5 The service provider shall keep the documents on one user separately from the documents on another user and from the documents about the transactions executed for its own account. The service provider shall regularly reconcile its internal accounts with the records and accounts of users within the meaning of this Decision so as to ensure accurate and up-to-date records at all times. 11. The access to data from the records, as well as the communication and submission of those data, shall be subject to the provisions of the law governing business secret, as well as Article 84, paragraph 2 of the Law. Personal data which are entered in the records are collected, processed, kept and used in accordance with the law governing personal data protection. Keeping records in branches abroad 12. The service provider shall ensure that the records in its branches abroad are also kept in accordance with this Decision. Closing provision 13. This decision shall enter into force on the eighth day following its publication in the RS Official Gazette and shall apply as of 29 June 2021. D. No 10 G o v e r n o r 13 May 2021 National Bank of Serbia B e l g r a d e Dr Jorgovanka Tabaković, sign.