Recent events suggest that it may take longer than expected for the European Union’s efforts to create trust among crypto investors via regulatory requirements.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), which regulates securities in the European Union, announced the adoption of MiCA, the Regulation on Markets for Crypto-Assets, on October 17.
The purpose of the MiCA framework is to unify the EU’s approach to regulating crypto assets and the service providers that interact with them. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has said that the MiCA requirements would not take effect until December 2024.
Given that the full protections of MiCA won’t be in place for at least another couple of years, the research warns that European crypto investors should proceed with great care. According to the official announcement:
“During that time, neither owners of crypto assets nor users of crypto asset services will be protected by EU-level regulatory or supervisory protections.”
The end of December 2024 as the start date for MiCA’s applicability is just half of the tale. Upon implementation, EU countries would reportedly give crypto service providers an extra 18 months of grace.
The paper states that this choice, known as the “grandfathering clause,” allows crypto service providers to continue without a license until July 1, 2026, when full safeguards under MiCA become effective.
The ESMA’s statement also emphasized the limited authority of NCAs during this time of transition. The authority claims that the current anti-money laundering frameworks will be the primary focus of their authority.
Furthermore, ESMA has noted that a completely risk-free crypto environment cannot be assumed even after MiCA’s full adoption. The ESMA stated:
“The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) wants to warn investors and consumers that MiCA does not cover all possible risks connected with crypto-assets and crypto-asset service providers. The nature of many crypto-assets makes them very volatile.”
In particular, the requirement for well-defined rules is become increasingly urgent as digital assets and cryptocurrencies develop. Officials in Europe have increased their work on enforcing and improving their industrial laws so far.
The French government’s latest move toward stricter regulations is evidence of this trend. France’s central bank implemented new crypto legislation in August, bringing them in line with the MiCA standard.
Among other restrictions, Bitcoinist reports that the new rules make it illegal to use clients’ funds without their permission.
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