Anand Sithian

Partner | He/Him/His

Overview

Anand is a trusted advisor for companies and individuals navigating complex legal issues involving digital assets, economic sanctions, anti-money laundering (AML), and white-collar investigations. Anand advises a broad range of clients—including publicly traded companies, major financial institutions, startups, founders, executives, and boards—often in connection with high-stakes “bet-the-company” matters. He counsels his clients through regulatory and enforcement proceedings, and parallel civil litigation. 

A partner in Crowell’s New York office, Anand is a member of the firm’s International Trade, White Collar and Regulatory Enforcement, and Financial Services groups, and leads the Financial Services Group’s Digital Assets pillar.

As a former federal prosecutor, Anand brings valuable insight from his government experience to represent clients in connection with grand jury investigations, government inquiries, internal reviews, and transaction lookbacks. He has deep experience in parallel criminal and civil proceedings and frequently defends clients facing civil lawsuits arising out of government investigations.

With a diverse range of clients in the blockchain, crypto, and FinTech sectors, Anand helps clients navigate compliance matters relating to economic sanctions, the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), and AML. He provides commercial, actionable advice tailored to the fast-evolving digital assets and FinTech landscape. Anand has advised major financial institutions and technology companies on issues relating to BSA/AML, economic sanctions, national security, payments, cryptocurrency, and securities enforcement. He assists U.S. and international clients in investigations and regulatory matters involving the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Reserve, the New York Department of Financial Services (NYDFS), and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Anand frequently advises on asset seizures and forfeiture issues involving digital assets, including engagement with the government regarding cryptocurrency seized or frozen by federal agencies. Anand also collaborates closely with Crowell’s Chambers-rank Privacy and Cybersecurity group to advise clients on SEC cybersecurity incident regulations and enforcement considerations.

Anand has been recognized in Global Investigations Review's 2024 "40 Under 40" list. In 2025, the New York Law Journal named him a "Rising Star,” and Chambers recognized him as a "Notable Practitioner" in its 2026 FinTech Guide for Crypto-Asset Disputes.

A frequent writer and commentator, Anand is regularly sought after for his insights on cutting-edge digital assets issues, and has been quoted in Bloomberg, CNBC, Barron’s, Coindesk, The Block, and Blockworks.

Government Service

Following law school, Anand joined the DOJ as a Trial Attorney in the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (“MLARS”) through the Attorney General’s Honors Program. At DOJ, he investigated and prosecuted matters involving asset forfeiture, money laundering, AML compliance, the BSA, and economic sanctions.

Career & Education

    • Department of Justice
      Trial Attorney, Criminal Division, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, 2011–2014
      Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia, 2011–2012
      Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, 2013–2014
    • Department of Justice
      Trial Attorney, Criminal Division, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, 2011–2014
      Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Columbia, 2011–2012
      Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York, 2013–2014
    • Emory University School of Law, J.D., with honors, 2011
    • Tufts University, B.A., 2006
    • Emory University School of Law, J.D., with honors, 2011
    • Tufts University, B.A., 2006
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • New Jersey
    • New York
  • Professional Activities and Memberships

    • The Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, Legal Working Group
    • New York City Bar, Presidential Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies, Subcommittee on Payment Services and Systems
    • South Asian Bar Association of New York

    Professional Activities and Memberships

    • The Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, Legal Working Group
    • New York City Bar, Presidential Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies, Subcommittee on Payment Services and Systems
    • South Asian Bar Association of New York

Anand's Insights

Client Alert | 13 min read | 02.04.26

The Month in International Trade – January 2026

Liesbeth Truyens, Economic Sanctions and Commercial Disputes Lawyer, Joins Crowell & Moring’s Brussels Office...

Representative Matters

Digital Assets / Blockchain / FinTech

  • Representing a Web3 service provider and its founders in the U.S. Attorney’s Office (S.D.N.Y.) investigation into the Tornado Cash virtual currency mixer, including representing a founder as a testifying witness in the high-profile criminal trial of U.S. v. Storm (S.D.N.Y.)
  • Representing a self-custodial wallet provider regarding potential Venezuela-related sanctions considerations
  • Representing a foreign technology firm regarding a seizure of over $3 million in stablecoins by DOJ and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
  • Advising a foreign crypto derivatives platform on sanctions and AML compliance, including drafting  compliance policies and counseling on user disputes 
  • Representing Virgil Griffith, a well-known Ethereum developer, in obtaining a significant reduction of his criminal sentence after his 2021 guilty plea to conspiracy to violate U.S. sanctions
  • Advising the venture capital arm of major token project on U.S. market entry and responding to an SEC subpoena relating to token exchange listings
  • Advised a digital assets custodian regarding a limited-purpose trust charter (“BitLicense”) application to  NYDFS
  • Advised a third-party market maker on SEC enforcement investigations and associated compliance advice relating to an SEC enforcement action against a major token issuer.
  • Advised digital assets payments and NFT platforms on BSA/AML, sanctions, insider-trading compliance, and FinCEN prepaid access regulations
  • Advised a leading payments platform on AML questions regarding Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs), including use by affiliates and potential unauthorized SAR disclosure issues
  • Advised FinTech lending platform on know-your-customer (KYC) obligations under OCC and FinCEN customer identification program (CIP) rules and guidance

White Collar & Regulatory Defense

  • Representing the former CFO of a financial institution in SEC, DOJ, and FDIC inquiries and parallel civil securities laws lawsuits and associated litigation relating to the institution’s closure
  • Representing the former CFO of a leading cryptocurrency trading and lending platform in DOJ, SEC, and NYAG investigations and related civil litigation
  • Representing the former Chief Compliance Officer of a peer-to-peer digital assets platform in a DOJ Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) investigation
  • Represented major technology company in successfully resolving an SEC investigation into a cybersecurity incident and related disclosure issues, with an acknowledgement by the SEC of the client’s cooperation and enhancement of cybersecurity controls
  • Represented a leading athletic apparel company in settling an SEC investigation into executive perquisites, related party transactions, and Regulation S-K compliance, with an acknowledgement of the client’s remedial measures and cooperation. 
  • Advising technology companies and government contractors on SEC cybersecurity incident reporting and disclosure controls
  • Representing, pro bono, a non-profit in responding to an oversight request from a Congressional committee regarding government contracts
  • Obtained a rare order of nolle prosequi—a full dismissal with no admission of guilt—in a pro bono representation of an individual charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, and identity theft relating in a construction-contract fraud case (S.D.N.Y.)
  • Represented Asia-based consumer goods company in favorably resolving economic sanctions by the DOJ’s National Security Division (NSD) and a USAO.*
  • Defended managing director of investment adviser in favorably resolving SEC enforcement investigation into undisclosed conflicts of interest; obtained complete dismissal with prejudice of parallel private civil securities fraud lawsuit*
  • Represented broker-dealer in SEC investigation and settlement regarding compliance with short selling requirements (Reg SHO)*

* Matters marked with an asterisk were completed prior to joining Crowell & Moring LLP

Sanctions and BSA/AML Regulatory & Compliance

  • Advised a major health insurance provider in VSD to OFAC, resulting in a “No Action Letter” following a year-long internal investigation and advice on remediation
  • Provide ongoing counseling to a major European bank on sanctions compliance, OFAC interactions, VSDs to OFAC, and an OFAC enforcement subpoena
  • Advising a publicly traded fashion company on economic sanctions, anti-corruption/FCPA, Form 8300, and compliance matters
  • Advising cash-management solutions provider on money transmission compliance in connection with services provided to Bitcoin ATM operators; and advised money transmission arguments resulting in dismissal of  cash seizure action
  • Advising U.S. financial institutions and technology companies on SAR obligations, and sanctions due diligence, and compliance matters involving Iran, Russia, Cuba, and North Korea
  • Assisted major U.S. bank with investigation into potential customer transactions involving Cuba and advised on submission of voluntary self-disclosure (“VSD”) to OFAC.
  • Advised, pro bono, a nongovernmental organization on U.S. sanctions risks associated with representation of a detained individual before the European Court of Human Rights

Anand's Insights

Client Alert | 13 min read | 02.04.26

The Month in International Trade – January 2026

Liesbeth Truyens, Economic Sanctions and Commercial Disputes Lawyer, Joins Crowell & Moring’s Brussels Office...

Recognition

  • Global Investigations Review: 40 Under 40
  • New York Law Journal: Rising Star
  • Chambers USA: FinTech Guide: Crypto-Asset Disputes, Nationwide, 2026

Anand's Insights

Client Alert | 13 min read | 02.04.26

The Month in International Trade – January 2026

Liesbeth Truyens, Economic Sanctions and Commercial Disputes Lawyer, Joins Crowell & Moring’s Brussels Office...