LEI
ComplianceLEI (Legal Entity Identifier) is the 20-character ISO 17442 code that uniquely identifies legal entities in financial transactions, mandatory in most ISO 20022 messages.
The LEI is a global standard for identifying any legal entity participating in a financial transaction. It is structured as 20 alphanumeric characters: 4 characters for the LOU (Local Operating Unit that issued it), 14 characters for the entity identifier, and 2 check digits.
Under CBPR+ ISO 20022 mandates, LEIs are required in pacs.008 and pacs.009 messages wherever the originator or beneficiary is a legal entity (rather than a natural person). The G20 has pushed for mandatory LEI inclusion in all cross-border payments as part of the G20 Roadmap for Enhancing Cross-Border Payments.
For crypto businesses (exchanges, OTC desks, and remittance providers), obtaining a LEI is a prerequisite for operating as a counterparty in ISO 20022-compliant payment flows.
Crypto Relevance
LEI requirements in ISO 20022 messages are a compliance filter for bank payment flows. The coin profiles on this site do not verify LEI handling by any coin network.
Related Terms
FATF Travel Rule
The FATF Travel Rule requires that originator and beneficiary information must travel with crypto transfers above USD/EUR 1,000. This entry also explains KYC and AML, the identity-verification and anti-money-laundering duties it builds on.
CBPR+
CBPR+ is the SWIFT-governed ISO 20022 standard that all banks must adopt for cross-border payments, replacing the legacy MT message suite.
pacs.008
pacs.008 is the ISO 20022 interbank credit transfer message that replaces the legacy SWIFT MT103.
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Sources
Last updated: 2026-09-29