Что такое KYC или KYB: The 2026 Guide for Traders

The Fundamental Question: Что такое KYC или KYB?

To operate in the modern financial and physical trade ecosystem, one must first grasp the core definitions. Что такое KYC или KYB refers to the two main branches of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Counter-Terrorist Financing (CTF) protocols. While the acronyms are often used interchangeably in casual conversation, they represent distinct workflows designed to mitigate different types of risk.

KYC, or Know Your Customer, is a process originally designed for banks to verify that their clients are who they say they are. This involves collecting government-issued identification, proof of residence, and biometric data. However, in the context of business-to-business (B2B) transactions, KYC is often insufficient. This is where KYB enters the fray. For a deeper dive into the specific nuances of these terms in the trade world, check out our guide on What is KYC and KYB in commodity trading.

The Evolution of Due Diligence

The history of these protocols dates back to the late 20th century, but the 2020s have seen a radical shift. Regulatory bodies like the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) have increasingly demanded that companies look beyond the immediate face of a transaction. It is no longer enough to know the person signing the contract; you must know the entity behind them and who ultimately controls that entity.

Standard Requirements for Individual Verification

For KYC, the process typically involves:

• Verification of a valid passport or national ID.
• Liveness checks (biometric face matching).
• Checking against PEP (Politically Exposed Persons) lists.
• Verification of source of funds for high-value transactions.

Key Differences: Decoding the Verification Duo

Understanding Что такое KYC или KYB requires a side-by-side comparison. While both share the goal of transparency, their targets and methodologies diverge significantly. KYC is person-centric; KYB is structure-centric. In the commodity sector, where transactions involve millions of dollars, the "business" aspect of KYB is where the most significant risks hide.

Target and Scope

KYC is applied to individuals. When a retail investor opens a trading account, they undergo KYC. In contrast, KYB is applied when a steel mill in Germany enters into a contract with an iron ore miner in Brazil. The broker facilitating this deal must perform KYB on both the mill and the miner to ensure neither is a front for illicit activity.

Complexity of Verification

Verifying an individual is relatively straightforward—identity documents are standardized. Verifying a business is complex because it involves multiple layers of corporate registry data, tax filings, and ownership trees. (Source: FATF Guidance on Transparency, 2025).

The Strategic Importance of Что такое KYC или KYB in Global Supply Chains

The global trade in commodities is currently facing unprecedented scrutiny. Whether you are dealing with industrial metals, agricultural products, or energy, the question of Что такое KYC или KYB is central to your operational viability. The complexity of these chains—often involving multiple intermediaries across different jurisdictions—makes them prime targets for bad actors.

"In 2026, compliance is no longer a 'check-the-box' exercise. It is a strategic advantage. Companies that can demonstrate transparent and automated KYB processes gain access to better trade finance terms and more reliable partners." — Marcus Thorne, Chief Compliance Officer at Lodfy

Protecting the Chain of Custody

KYB allows procurement managers to verify that their suppliers are legitimate entities. For example, a buyer of urea fertilizer needs to know that the seller isn't just a paper company set up to launder money, but a real entity with physical production capacity. Verifying the legitimacy of the company includes checking their history, their operational licenses, and their bank references.

Ensuring Transactional Security

When millions of dollars are moved via SWIFT or blockchain, the bank's first question will always be related to the due diligence performed on the counterparty. Without robust KYB, transactions can be frozen for weeks, leading to massive losses in demurrage and contract penalties. Following a strict мониторинг санкционных списков контрагентов is a critical part of this security.

Advanced KYB: Deep Dive into UBO and Sanctions

Once you understand the basic premise of Что такое KYC или KYB, the next step is mastering the most difficult part: Ultimate Beneficial Ownership (UBO). A UBO is the natural person who ultimately owns or controls a legal entity. In many jurisdictions, this is defined as someone holding more than 10% or 25% of the shares or voting rights.

The Challenge of Ownership Layers

Bad actors often hide their involvement through layers of shell companies in offshore tax havens. A robust KYB process must "look through" these layers until the final individual is identified. This is particularly relevant in high-risk sectors like mining and energy. Learning how to navigate these complexities is essential, and our guide on Mastering Ultimate Beneficial Ownership Mapping for Commodity Firms offers a roadmap for this process.

Sanctions and Watchlist Screening

In 2026, the global sanctions landscape is highly volatile. A company that was "safe" to trade with yesterday might be on a restricted list today due to geopolitical shifts. KYB must include real-time screening against:

• OFAC (US Treasury) Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list.
• EU Consolidated List of Sanctions.
• UN Security Council Sanctions.
• Local and regional watchlists (e.g., UK HMT).

The 5 Pillars of Effective Compliance for Industrial Buyers

For those managing the procurement of bulk materials like iron ore, copper, or sulphur, the implementation of Что такое KYC или KYB protocols should be built on five stable pillars. These ensure that the process is thorough without becoming a bottleneck for trade.

1. Document Authentication: Verifying that the Certificate of Incorporation and tax documents provided by the supplier are genuine and current.
2. UBO Verification: Mapping the ownership structure to identify the real people in control.
3. Operational Proof: Using third-party reports (like SGS or Intertek) to verify that the business actually handles the products they claim to sell.
4. Sanctions & Adverse Media: Checking if the company or its directors have been mentioned in news reports linked to fraud or money laundering.
5. Continuous Monitoring: KYC/KYB is not a one-time event; it must be updated at least annually or when a significant change in the counterparty occurs.

Why Operational Proof Matters

In commodity trading, "paper trades" are common, but they are also a hotspot for fraud. A company might pass a basic KYB check but have zero capacity to deliver 50,000 MT of copper cathode. Modern platforms like Lodfy help bridge this gap by integrating document status tracking with entity verification.

The Evolving Legal Framework: Why Что такое KYC или KYB Matters for 2026 Regulations

The regulatory environment is the driving force behind the question of Что такое KYC или KYB. International bodies are closing loopholes that previously allowed opaque corporate structures to flourish. In 2026, the focus has shifted toward transparency and immediate reporting.

The Impact of AMLD6 and Beyond

The 6th Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD6) in the EU and similar acts globally have broadened the definition of money laundering and increased the criminal liability for corporations. Executives can now be held personally responsible for "negligent" failure to perform due diligence. This makes automated KYB systems essential for corporate survival.

The Rise of ESG Compliance

In 2026, KYB is expanding to include ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) factors. Buyers want to know not only if a business is legal, but if it follows ethical labor practices and environmental standards. This is becoming a prerequisite for obtaining green finance and trade credit insurance.

Mitigating Risks: From Shell Companies to Fraudulent Documents

The practical application of Что такое KYC или KYB is found in risk mitigation. For a commodity broker, the primary risk is the "ghost seller"—a sophisticated fraudster who uses a real company's name but forged documents to secure a deposit and then vanishes.

Identifying Firm-Odondevki (Shell Companies)

In many regions, especially in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the use of "one-day firms" (фирмы-однодневки) is a common tactic for tax evasion and fraud. These firms are registered, used for a few transactions, and then liquidated. A KYB check identifies these by looking at the age of the company, the number of employees, and the lack of physical assets relative to the contract size.

Verifying Document Authenticity

Fraudsters have become experts at altering PDF documents. From bank reference letters to SGS quality certificates, the risk is high. Advanced KYB tools use digital forensics to check for metadata changes, font inconsistencies, and digital signature validity. This ensures that the documentation backing a trade is as real as the commodity itself.

Technological Revolution: AI and Automated Due Diligence

If you ask a compliance officer Что такое KYC или KYB today versus five years ago, the answer will involve much more technology. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) have solved the biggest problem in compliance: the trade-off between speed and accuracy.

AI-Powered Data Extraction

Manual data entry is prone to error. AI-driven OCR (Optical Character Recognition) can extract data from complex corporate documents in seconds, cross-referencing them against global registries. This allows for immediate verification of incorporation numbers, registered addresses, and director names.

Graph Technology for UBO Mapping

Identifying UBOs through 15 layers of ownership is impossible for a human using spreadsheets. Graph databases visualize these connections instantly, highlighting links to sanctioned individuals or high-risk jurisdictions that would otherwise remain hidden.

Best Practices for Modern Commodity Brokers

To conclude our guide on Что такое KYC или KYB, we provide a checklist of best practices for brokers and procurement managers. These steps will help you build a "Compliance First" culture that attracts high-tier buyers and sellers.

• Adopt a Risk-Based Approach: Don't treat a local supplier with a 20-year history the same as a new offshore entity. Allocate your due diligence resources where the risk is highest.
• Use Centralized Compliance Platforms: Avoid keeping compliance data in disparate emails and folders. Use a single source of truth like Lodfy to manage all KYB/KYC workflows.
• Verify Third-Party Documents: Never take an SGS report or a Bank Comfort Letter (BCL) at face value. Use the issuer's verification portal or contact them directly to confirm authenticity.
• Train Your Team: Ensure that your sales and procurement teams understand the basics of Что такое KYC или KYB so they can spot red flags before a deal reaches the compliance desk.
• Maintain an Audit Trail: In the event of a regulatory inquiry, you must be able to prove how and when you verified a counterparty. Digital timestamps and logged reports are your best defense.