Sec. 200.19. Consumer protection

(a) Disclosure of material risks.

As part of establishing a relationship with a customer, and prior to entering into an initial transaction for, on behalf of, or with such customer, each licensee shall disclose in clear, conspicuous, and legible writing in the English language and in any other predominant language spoken by the customers of the licensee, all material risks associated with its products, services, and activities and virtual currency generally, including at a minimum, the following:

(1) virtual currency is not legal tender, is not backed by the government, and accounts and value balances are not subject to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or Securities Investor Protection Corporation protections;

(2) legislative and regulatory changes or actions at the State, Federal, or international level may adversely affect the use, transfer, exchange, and value of virtual currency;

(3) transactions in virtual currency may be irreversible, and, accordingly, losses due to fraudulent or accidental transactions may not be recoverable;

(4) some virtual currency transactions shall be deemed to be made when recorded on a public ledger, which is not necessarily the date or time that the customer initiates the transaction;

(5) the value of virtual currency may be derived from the continued willingness of market participants to exchange fiat currency for virtual currency, which may result in the potential for permanent and total loss of value of a particular virtual currency should the market for that virtual currency disappear;

(6) there is no assurance that a person who accepts a virtual currency as payment today will continue to do so in the future;

(7) the volatility and unpredictability of the price of virtual currency relative to fiat currency may result in significant loss over a short period of time;

(8) the nature of virtual currency may lead to an increased risk of fraud or cyber attack;

(9) the nature of virtual currency means that any technological difficulties experienced by the licensee may prevent the access or use of a customer’s virtual currency; and

(10) any bond or trust account maintained by the licensee for the benefit of its customers may not be sufficient to cover all losses incurred by customers.

(b) Disclosure of general terms and conditions.

When opening an account for a new customer, and prior to entering into an initial transaction for, on behalf of, or with such customer, each licensee shall disclose in clear, conspicuous, and legible writing in the English language and in any other predominant language spoken by the customers of the licensee, all relevant terms and conditions associated with its products, services, and activities and virtual currency generally, including at a minimum, the following, as applicable:

(1) the customer’s liability for unauthorized virtual currency transactions;

(2) the customer’s right to stop payment of a preauthorized virtual currency transfer and the procedure to initiate such a stop-payment order;

(3) under what circumstances the licensee will, absent a court or government order, disclose information concerning the customer’s account to third parties;

(4) the customer’s right to receive periodic account statements and valuations from the licensee;

(5) the customer’s right to receive a receipt, trade ticket, or other evidence of a transaction;

(6) the customer’s right to prior notice of a change in the licensee’s rules or policies; and

(7) such other disclosures as are customarily given in connection with the opening of customer accounts.

(c) Disclosures of the terms of transactions.

Prior to each transaction in virtual currency, for, on behalf of, or with a customer, each licensee shall furnish to each such customer a written disclosure in clear, conspicuous, and legible writing in the English language and in any other predominant language spoken by the customers of the licensee, containing the terms and conditions of the transaction, which shall include, at a minimum, to the extent applicable:

(1) the amount of the transaction;

(2) any fees, expenses, and charges borne by the customer, including applicable exchange rates;

(3) the type and nature of the virtual currency transaction;

(4) a warning that once executed the transaction may not be undone, if applicable; and

(5) such other disclosures as are customarily given in connection with a transaction of this nature.

(d) Acknowledgement of disclosures.

Each licensee shall ensure that all disclosures required in this section are acknowledged as received by customers.

(e) Receipts.

Upon completion of any transaction, each licensee shall provide to a customer a receipt containing the following information:

(1) the name and contact information of the licensee, including a telephone number established by the licensee to answer questions and register complaints;

(2) the type, value, date, and precise time of the transaction;

(3) the fee charged;

(4) the exchange rate, if applicable;

(5) a statement of the liability of the licensee for non-delivery or delayed delivery;

(6) a statement of the refund policy of the licensee; and

(7) any additional information the superintendent may require.

(f) Each licensee shall make available to the department, upon request, the form of the receipts it is required to provide to customers in accordance with subdivision (e) of this section.

(g) Prevention of fraud.

Licensees are prohibited from engaging in fraudulent activity. Additionally, each licensee shall take reasonable steps to detect and prevent fraud, including by establishing and maintaining a written anti-fraud policy. The anti-fraud policy shall, at a minimum, include:

(1) the identification and assessment of fraud-related risk areas;

(2) procedures and controls to protect against identified risks;

(3) allocation of responsibility for monitoring risks; and

(4) procedures for the periodic evaluation and revision of the anti-fraud procedures, controls, and monitoring mechanisms.