Hugo Revolutionizes KYC Process for Crypto Company

A leading crypto company faced challenges optimizing its Know Your Customer (KYC) review process. Despite investing in advanced KYC software, the company’s verification workflows remained inefficient, leading to prolonged case resolution times. The resulting 30+ day review cycles exacerbated operational bottlenecks, customer attrition, and compliance costs.

With expertise in navigating the complexities of KYC processes and regulatory compliance, the company partnered with Hugo. The company’s Director of Operations explained: “As we faced these challenges, it became clear that our internal resources were stretched too thin…we began looking into outsourcing partners and were impressed by Hugo’s capabilities.”

Challenge: Optimizing KYC for Business Growth

Operational Bottlenecks

The firm relied on legacy systems that created data silos, obstructing the flow of information, and requiring manual intervention at multiple stages. For example, initial data collection, document verification, and risk assessments involved manually accessing multiple internal resources through shared drives. These processes were time-consuming, error prone, and created access restriction issues.

Manual Dependency

A comprehensive review of the client’s systems revealed the lack of optimal utilization of its best-in-class technologies, resulting in a continued dependency on manual methods. Reviews were initiated by email, the team was manually updating 100+ fields on KYC Customer Lifecycle Management (CLM) system, and conducting manual screenings.

Strategic Solutions: Hugo’s Approach to Efficiency and Compliance

Optimization of KYC Customer Lifecycle Management Features

Hugo streamlined case management, consolidated document navigation into a single unified view, integrated email correspondence tracking, automated reminders and follow-ups, and synchronized data with the core crypto system.

Re-engineering Processes

We isolated process inefficiencies and non-essential tasks, then introduced a middle office team to act as an intermediary between customers and relationship managers, ensuring seamless information flow and improved collaboration.

Modified Access Controls

Hugo identified restrictive policies that forced unnecessary handoffs between departments and modified these policies to facilitate straight-through processing (STP) and improve overall efficiency.

Embracing Tactical Automation

Quick wins were engineered by deploying targeted small-scale automation for processes such as email correspondence and adverse media screenings.

Outcomes

• Enhanced Operational Efficiency: Tactical automation and process re-design boosted operational efficiency by 42%, enabling quicker, more accurate KYC reviews.
• KYC Compliance Achievement: Attained 100% compliance with KYC regulatory standards, balancing speed and precision without compromising service quality.
• Cost and Effort Reduction: Automation and optimizing case management cut operational costs and manual efforts by 53%, particularly in adverse media screening.
• Turnaround Time Reduction: The KYC completion time was reduced by more than 68%, enhancing customer satisfaction.

Conclusion

By addressing specific challenges with tailored solutions, Hugo not only streamlined the firm’s operations but also ensured regulatory compliance and reduced costs, underscoring the importance of embracing technology and innovative process management to stay ahead in the fast-paced crypto market.  The Director of Operations reflected: “Partnering with Hugo was not just a strategic move—it was an essential step. With tangible results, we feel better equipped for scale.”