Mica | Crypto

EU officials plan to reassess MiCA as companies test its limits, with industry feedback set to shape potential changes to the bloc’s crypto framework. A European Commission adviser said the European Union’s landmark MiCA crypto regime is likely to evolve as digital asset markets develop beyond the conditions the law was originally designed to address. Speaking at the Paris Blockchain Week (PBW) 2026, Peter Kerstens, an adviser on technological innovation, digital transformation and cybersecurity at the European Commission’s financial services department, said the Commission will review the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and launch a public consultation to assess whether the rules are working for market participants and supporting business development. The remarks suggest EU policymakers are already thinking about how MiCA may need to evolve as the crypto market matures. Kerstens said he could not predict the future, but added that EU financial legislation typically evolves in stages, suggesting it...

A Bank of France official called for tighter MiCA rules on non-euro stablecoins as lawmakers advance reporting requirements for self-custodial crypto wallets above 5,000 euros. French officials are pushing for tighter oversight of crypto from two directions, as a Bank of France official called for stricter limits on non-euro stablecoins under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), and lawmakers in Paris advanced a separate reporting requirement for some self-custody holdings. Denis Beau, First Deputy Governor of the Bank of France, delivered a speech at the EUROFI High Level Seminar in March, calling on the EU to restrict the use of stablecoins for payments, particularly those pegged to non-euro currencies. Published on the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) website on Thursday, he said the Bank of France has been “pressing for a strengthening” of MiCA in this regard. Read more

MEXC appointed Vugar Usi as CEO and outlined plans to expand zero-fee trading and pursue MiCA licensing amid growing industry competition. MEXC appointed Vugar Usi as CEO on Wednesday, elevating the executive as the exchange steps up its push for global licensing, including under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework. MEXC said Usi joined the company as chief operating officer in late 2025 after previously serving in the same position at rival exchange Bitget. In his new role, Usi said MEXC plans to preserve its low-fee trading focus while expanding broader multi-asset access on the platform. Read more

An ECB working paper found DeFi governance remains highly concentrated, complicating efforts to identify who should fall under MiCA oversight. The European Central Bank published a working paper on March 26, finding that governance in four major DeFi protocols was heavily concentrated. The staff paper looks at Aave, MakerDAO, Ampleforth and Uniswap, and finds that while governance tokens are held across tens of thousands of addresses, the top 100 holders control more than 80% of the supply in each protocol. Based on holdings snapshots from November 2022 and May 2023, the authors found that a large share of governance tokens could be linked either to the protocols themselves or to centralized and decentralized exchanges, with Binance the largest identified centralized exchange holder across the four protocols. Read more

The UK has a unique opportunity to merge the best of the EU’s MiCA framework and the US GENIUS Act, Circle’s Dante Disparte told the House of Lords committee on Wednesday. Circle’s policy chief Dante Disparte told a United Kingdom House of Lords committee that the UK has a chance to build its crypto regime by combining the clarity of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) with elements of the new US stablecoin framework. “The model is clear: take the best of both and make it distinctly British,” Disparte said during a Wednesday meeting of the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee. “From Europe, take clarity, definitions, licensing, governance and strong consumer protection from the US and the landmark Genius Act.” Disparte argued that the absence of a regulatory framework will keep stablecoin activity offshore, leaving UK users more exposed and jeopardizing London’s status as a global hub for financial innovation. The meeting was part of the House of Lords’ inquiry in...

President Karol Nawrocki vetoed a second MiCA crypto bill, saying it was “practically identical” to a previous version, leaving local companies in limbo ahead of a summer MiCA deadline. Poland’s president vetoed a second bill meant to align the country’s crypto rules with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation framework, deepening uncertainty for local platforms as a key transition deadline approaches. President Karol Nawrocki declined to sign Bill 2064 last week, marking the second veto of proposed legislation to implement the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), the president’s office said Thursday. Nawrocki vetoed a similar measure in December and described Bill 2064 as “practically identical” to the original Bill 1424 vetoed previously. The veto followed an announcement by the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (KNF), warning that Poland has not designated a competent authority to supervise the crypto market, highlighting the MiCA transition deadline of July 1, 2026. Read...

Germany's ING Deutschland just made crypto exposure feel like buying an index fund, indicating the path Europe is taking in crypto adoption. Starting Feb. 2, the bank's 3.2 million brokerage customers can purchase crypto exchange-traded notes with zero order fees above €1,000 and set up automatic savings plans. According to the announcement, there are no […] The post Major German bank opens free crypto access as MiCA ends the legality debate and sparks a bank rush appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Former London Stock Exchange Group executive Sabina Liu will lead KuCoin EU’s MiCA-era expansion from Vienna, as the exchange pivots toward a compliance-first European strategy. KuCoin has appointed former London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) executive Sabina Liu to lead its European business, tasking her with steering the exchange’s Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA) expansion from Vienna after securing a crypto asset service provider license in Austria. Liu, who will serve as managing director of KuCoin EU, previously ran KuCoin’s institutional business and also spent more than a decade at the LSEG working with global investment banks and cross-border trading clients, according to an announcement shared with Cointelegraph. Liu told Cointelegraph that securing a MiCA license was a “major milestone” that gave KuCoin a unified regulatory framework to serve a region with mature and diverse finance, increasing crypto use and “significant room” for further adoption across stablecoins, payments and wealth pr...

As the US delays crypto laws and Europe enforces MiCA, markets face regulatory gaps, capital shifts and uneven compliance costs for global firms. Europe has moved from drafting to enforcing crypto rules under MiCA, giving companies clear timelines, licensing paths and compliance milestones across all EU member states. The US still relies on a multi-agency, enforcement-led framework, with major questions about token classification and market structure waiting on new federal legislation. MiCA’s single-license model allows crypto firms to operate across the EU after approval in one country, encouraging companies to base early expansion strategies in Europe. Read more

The exchange confirmed it has applied for regulatory approval under the MiCA regime, part of a broader effort to regain footing in major markets.

Binance applied for a MiCA license in Greece shortly after France flagged the exchange as still unlicensed under MiCA ahead of June compliance deadlines. Binance submitted an application for authorization under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) in Greece as regulators warn of looming compliance deadlines. A Binance spokesperson confirmed to Cointelegraph on Friday that the exchange had filed for a MiCA license in Greece and was working with the country’s financial regulator, the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC). “We welcome the opportunity to work closely with the HCMC as this new regulation takes shape in the EU and look forward to contributing to the long-term growth of the EU’s digital financial ecosystem,” the exchange’s representative said. Read more

The lender will offer crypto trading through its Bolero platform as Belgium’s MiCA rules take effect, despite no licenses yet appearing on the ESMA’s register. Update (Jan. 16, 1:15 pm UTC): This article has been updated to add commentary from KBC Bank. KBC, one of Belgium’s largest banks, is set to roll out Bitcoin and Ether trading to retail investors next month via its own custodial solution and investment platform. From Feb. 16, KBC customers will be able to buy and sell crypto assets through the online investment platform Bolero, the bank announced Thursday. Read more

Crossmint has secured MiCA authorization from Spain’s CNMV to operate as a crypto asset service provider, allowing it to passport stablecoin infrastructure services across the EU. Crossmint has secured a Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation (MiCA) authorization from Spain’s securities regulator CNMV to operate as a crypto asset service provider (CASP), positioning it as a regulated stablecoin infrastructure provider across all 27 European Union member states.  Miguel Angel Zapatero, Crossmint general counsel, told Cointelegraph that the company was held to “the exact same standards” as traditional financial institutions, marking an end to any notion that MiCA offers a lighter regime for crypto businesses.  He said that MiCA created a “level playing field” and built confidence in the sector thanks to “consistent standards and enforcement,” adding that the days of the “wild wild west” era were over, and that MiCA brought “certainty to more traditional clients who were not confident enough in crypto technology.” ...

Retail crypto access will initially cover Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin and Cardano through participating cooperative banks. DZ Bank, one of Germany’s largest banking groups by assets, secured a license under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), clearing a key regulatory hurdle to operate crypto services within the jurisdiction.  DZ Bank announced Wednesday that it had received approval from Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) to operate its crypto platform, “meinKrypto,” which is designed to provide crypto trading infrastructure to banks within Germany’s cooperative banking network. The platform will be made available to participating local banks in the coming months.  Under the model, DZ Bank will act as the central operator of the platform, while individual cooperative banks will determine whether to offer the crypto services to their retail customers. Each participating bank must file a separate MiCA notification with BaFin before enabling crypto trading. Read ...

Spain’s securities regulator, CNMV, has spelled out how it plans to run MiCA in practice, using a Q&A to inform crypto companies what to expect. Spain’s national securities regulator, the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV), has published a dedicated Q&A laying out how it intends to apply the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) on the ground. The document outlines what crypto companies can expect on authorizations, notifications, day-to-day conduct and the transitional regime, pushing platforms toward a clear “comply or quit” decision as MiCA comes into force. The move puts Spain alongside other EU member states, including Italy, which are actively using MiCA’s transitional flexibilities rather than allowing prolonged regulatory uncertainty. Read more

Italy’s markets regulator sets firm MiCA deadlines, forcing VASPs to seek authorization or exit by Dec. 30, and urges investors to check providers’ compliance plans. Italy’s securities regulator set a firm timetable for applying the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) in the country, warning that unlicensed crypto platforms face a deadline to either seek authorization or leave the market. The move directly affects virtual asset service providers (VASPs) currently operating under Italy’s regime and the retail investors who use them.​ In a news release published Thursday, Italy’s Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa (CONSOB) reminded the market that Dec. 30 is the last day VASPs registered with the Organismo Agenti e Mediatori (OAM) can operate under the existing national framework. Read more

Licensed by Austria’s Financial Market Authority, KuCoin EU can operate across 29 EEA countries, excluding Malta. Major cryptocurrency exchange KuCoin is the latest company to secure a license under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework. KuCoin’s European arm, KuCoin EU, secured a MiCA license from the Financial Market Authority of Austria, the company said in a statement shared with Cointelegraph on Friday. The authorization allows KuCoin EU to offer crypto asset services across 29 countries in the European Economic Area (EEA), excluding Malta, according to the exchange’s representatives. Read more

Aave said compliant, audited payment pathways are crucial for onboarding new users to decentralized finance. Aave Labs became one of the first major decentralized finance (DeFi) projects to secure authorization under Europe’s new Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, allowing the company to offer regulated stablecoin ramps across the European Economic Area (EEA). The approval enables “Push,” Aave Labs’ fiat-to-crypto service, to let users convert between euros and crypto assets, including the Aave protocol’s native stablecoin, GHO. The Central Bank of Ireland granted the authorization to Push Virtual Assets Ireland Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Aave Labs.  The company selected Ireland for its European operations, signaling that the country is becoming a preferred hub for compliant onchain finance under MiCA. On June 25, the crypto exchange Kraken secured its MiCA authorization in Ireland, allowing it to expand its offerings across Europe.  Read more

The license positions Zerohash as one of the first MiCA-approved stablecoin infrastructure companies, strengthening its appeal to institutions. Stablecoin company Zerohash has secured a license under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), making it one of the first infrastructure providers authorized to offer stablecoin services across the EU.  Zerohash Europe announced Sunday that it acquired a license from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). This allows the company to provide stablecoin and crypto products to banking institutions, financial technology companies and payment platforms across the 30 European Economic Area (EEA) countries. The AFM’s official registry confirmed that Zerohash has become a registered crypto-asset service provider (CASP).  The approval positions Zerohash’s European arm as a CASP that can function as the backbone for organizations exploring tokenized assets, stablecoins and other blockchain-based financial products.  Read more

MiCA deserves credit for imposing order on chaos, but its structure rests on a dangerous assumption: that proof-of-reserves equals proof-of-stability, argues Dr. Daniel D’Alvia. It does not.