Tazama Open Source Transaction Monitoring

Tazama is an open-source, real-time transaction monitoring platform for financial institutions and payment ecosystems, positioned to detect fraud and money-laundering typologies without proprietary licence cost. The site lists the Gates Foundation and Linux Foundation among its partners.

The engine evaluates each transaction against configurable rules that are combined into typologies with thresholds, and can block high-risk transactions or route alerts for investigation. Version 4.0.0 adds Connection Studio and DEMS for mapping message formats, Rule Studio for low-code rules, AI to recommend rules and cut false positives, case management and JupyterLab-based analytics.

• Real-time detection engine: rules combine into typologies with configurable thresholds.
• Connection Studio and DEMS: ingest and map different message formats.
• Rule Studio: build and change rules through a low-code interface.
• AI assistance: recommends rules, calibrates parameters and prioritises alerts to reduce false positives.
• Case management: end-to-end investigation of flagged transactions.
• Analytics: reporting built on JupyterLab with full auditability.

• A small commercial bank or people's credit fund running real-time fraud and AML rules on its payment switch.
• An e-wallet or payment intermediary screening transfers and flagging mule-account patterns.
• A fintech building its own monitoring layer on open code to avoid vendor lock-in.

• Free open-source software lowers entry cost for banks and payment providers.
• Real-time evaluation allows risky transactions to be blocked before completion.
• Low-code rule building lets compliance teams change detection logic without rewriting code.
• Full auditability supports regulator review.

Instant payments and scams are pushing regulators and banks to monitor transactions before settlement rather than after. In Vietnam, Circular 27/2025 of the State Bank requires banks to strengthen automated AML monitoring, and open-source options are relevant for smaller institutions and payment intermediaries with limited budgets.

Project hosted by Linux Foundation Charities with Gates Foundation support (launched February 2024 per Linux Foundation coverage). Partner logos on the site include Mojaloop, Sybrin and WiredIn. Licence name not stated on the page.