This document is a summarized overview of Holyheld Labs AG (“Holyheld”) procedures for prevention of money laundering (“ML”), financing of terrorism (“FT”) and other forms of illicit activity.
Holyheld Labs AG is affiliated to a Self-Regulatory Organisation (SRO) recognised by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) and is thereby authorised to carry out financial-intermediary activity in Switzerland. Holyheld Labs AG is supervised for anti-money-laundering and counter-terrorist-financing purposes by its SRO under the oversight of FINMA, in accordance with the Swiss Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) and its implementing ordinances, and maintains an AML/CFT framework consistent with FATF standards.
Holyheld takes a risk-based approach (“RBA”) towards assessing and containing the money laundering and terrorist financing risks arising from any customer’s transactions according to Holyheld’s implemented risk management framework, controlled by a certified risk manager.
Holyheld performs a risk-based due diligence by collecting any necessary information and documentation on each prospective customer in order to assess the risk before entering into a customer relationship, or when attributing a risk profile.
The customer risk profile will be revised periodically upon knowledge of the client identification and its activities.
Customer due diligence (CDD) measures are required for verifying the identity of a new or existing Customer as a well-performing risk-based ongoing monitoring of the Customer Relationship.
The CDD measures are taken and performed to the extent necessary considering the Customer’s risk profile and other circumstances in the following cases:
Holyheld does not establish or maintain a Customer Relationship and does not perform any transaction if:
Each Customer is assigned a documented individual risk level which shall form the basis for follow-up measures, and which is followed up and updated when necessary.
Upon the application of CDD measures, Holyheld acquires the knowledge, understanding and assertion that has enough information about the Customer’s identity, activities, purpose of the Customer Relationship and of the transactions carried out, and origin of the funds, so that Holyheld understands the Customer’s purpose, thereby taking into account the Customer’s risk level, the risk associated with the Customer Relationship and the nature of such relationship.
Simplified due diligence (SDD) measures are applied where the Customer’s risk profile indicates low risk level of ML/TF.
SDD measures must not be carried out in the circumstances where enhanced due diligence measures (as described below) must be carried out.
Where, in the course of performing ongoing monitoring of the Customer’s Relationships, it is established that the risk of ML and/or TF is no longer low, Holyheld must apply the relevant level of CDD measures.
Standard due diligence measures are applied to all Customers where CDD measures must be applied in accordance with Holyheld’s Policies. The following standard due diligence measures should be applied:
The CDD measures specified above must be applied before establishing the Customer Relationship or performing any transaction.
In addition to standard due diligence measures, Holyheld applies enhanced due diligence (EDD) measures in order to manage and mitigate an established risk of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in the case where the risk is established to be higher than usual.
Holyheld applies EDD measures, when:
Prior to applying EDD measures, Holyheld ensures that the Customer Relationship or transaction has a high risk and that a high-risk rate can be attributed to such Customer Relationship or transaction. Above all, Holyheld assesses prior to applying the EDD measures whether the features described above are present and applies them as independent grounds (that is, each of the factors identified allows application of EDD measures with respect to the Customer).
Holyheld shall notify about EDD measures applied within 2 working days after the start of applying of the EDD measures by sending relevant notification to the compliance Officer.
In the case of application of EDD measures, the Holyheld reassesses the Customer’s risk profile no later than every six months.
The Holyheld identifies the Customer who is a natural person and retains the following data:
The following valid identity documents which contain data specified above may be used as the basis for the identification of a natural person:
The Customer, who is a natural person, cannot use a representative in the course of customer relationship with the Company.
The Holyheld does not accept legal entities as Customers.
Holyheld uses data from a reliable and independent third party service provider to confirm that the personal data and information provided by the Customer is true and correct.
The Holyheld shall take measures to ascertain whether the Customer, or the representative of this Customer is a PEP, their family member or close associate or if the Customer has become such a person.
The Holyheld shall request from the Customer information to identify if the Customer is a PEP, their family member or close associate (e. g. providing the Customer with an opportunity to specify the relevant information when collecting data about the Customer).
The Holyheld shall identify close associates and family members of PEPs only if their connection with PEP is known to the public or if the Holyheld has reason to believe that such a connection exists.
Holyheld shall understand the purpose and nature of the establishing Customer Relationship or performing a transaction. Regarding the services provided, Holyheld may request from the Customer information for understanding the purpose and nature of the Customer Relationship or transaction.
Holyheld also applies additional measures and collects additional information to identify the purpose and nature of the Customer Relationship in cases where there is a situation that refers to high value or is unusual; and/or where the risk and/or risk profile associated with the Customer and the nature of the Customer Relationship gives reason for the performance of additional actions in order to be able to appropriately monitor to Customer Relationship later.
Holyheld shall monitor established Customer Relationships where ongoing due diligence (ODD) measures are implemented by regularly checking and updating the documents, data and information collected within the course of the implementation of CDD measures and updating the Customer’s risk profile. The regularity of the checks and updates must be based on the risk profile of the Customer.
The collected documents, data and information must also be checked if an event has occurred which indicates the need to update the collected documents, data and information.
Holyheld shall identify the source and origin of the funds used in transaction(s) if necessary. The need to identify the source and origin of funds depends on the Customer’s previous activities as well as other known information. The identification of the source and origin of the funds used in a transaction can be performed in specific cases.
Upon the entry into force, amendment or termination of any Sanctions, Holyheld shall verify whether the Customer, or a person who is planning to have the Customer Relationship or transaction with them is a subject of Sanctions.
Holyheld shall perform the Sanctions’ verification on an ongoing basis in the course of an established Customer Relationship. The frequency of the ongoing verifications depends on the Customer’s risk profile.
Holyheld is prohibited to establish a Customer Relationship and the existing Customer Relationship or transaction shall be terminated when:
Holyheld must suspend the transaction disregarding the amount of the transaction (except for the cases where this is objectively impossible due to the nature of the Monetary Operation or transaction, the manner of execution thereof or other circumstances) and must report to the VQF on the activity or the circumstances that they identify in the course of economic activities, and whereby Holyheld has established that the Customer is carrying out a suspicious transaction; and/or knows or suspects that assets of any value are obtained directly or indirectly from criminal activity or participation in such activity.
Holyheld ensures that its employees, its contractors and others participating in the business on a similar basis and who perform work tasks that are of importance for preventing the use of the Company’s business for Money Laundering or Terrorist Financing (‘Relevant Persons’) have the relevant qualifications for these work tasks.
When a Relevant Person is recruited or engaged, the Relevant Person’s qualifications are checked as part of the recruitment/appointment process by carrying out background checks, which is documented using a special standard form assessing Employee suitability.
In accordance with the requirements applicable to the Holyheld on ensuring the suitability of Relevant Persons, the Holyheld makes sure that such persons receive appropriate training and information on an ongoing basis to be able to fulfil the Company’s obligations in compliance with the applicable legislation.
Holyheld Labs AG shall keep a record of all relevant data regarding Holyheld Labs AG's potential clients, clients and their activities during the business relationship.
In accordance with Article 7 of the Swiss Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), the documents and records relating to transactions and to the identification of clients and beneficial owners, together with the records documenting the clarifications carried out, shall be retained for at least 10 years after the termination of the business relationship or the completion of the transaction.
Holyheld Labs AG implements all personal-data protection rules arising from the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP) and its implementing ordinance, and other applicable law. Holyheld Labs AG is permitted to process personal data gathered in the course of customer due diligence (CDD) solely for the purpose of preventing money laundering and terrorist financing, and such data must not be further processed in a manner incompatible with that purpose, for instance for marketing purposes.
Holyheld appointed a Compliance Officer, who acts as a contact person of the VQF and performs the ML/TF duties and obligations on behalf of Holyheld.
The Compliance Officer reports directly to the management board and has the competence, means and access to relevant information across all the structural units of Holyheld.
The duties of Holyheld Compliance Officer include: