EU launches consultation on future of crypto regulation

The European Commission has launched a targeted consultation on whether the EU’s rules governing crypto-assets remain fit for purpose as the market develops and traditional financial institutions increasingly enter the sector . The consultation concerns the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), the EU’s framework for crypto-assets and related services, which began applying in part on June 30, 2024 , before becoming fully applicable on December 30, 2024. The Commission services said stakeholders had until August 31, 2026 to respond through an online questionnaire , with feedback intended to help determine whether changes to the regulatory framework may be needed. The consultation is not a formal legislative proposal, and the Commission stressed that the document represented the views of its services at this stage rather than a final policy position.

“The views reflected on this consultation paper provide an indication on the approach the Commission services may take but do not constitute a final policy position or a formal proposal by the European Commission,” the document stated. The Commission said responses would help guide any future proposal and would be published according to the privacy options selected by respondents. Only responses submitted through the official online questionnaire would be taken into account in the report summarising the consultation. The Commission is seeking views from a broad range of stakeholders and said responses would be most useful where they included detailed explanations supported by data , concrete examples, legal references and other evidence. It also invited respondents to suggest specific solutions to problems they identified, while saying participants should answer only questions relevant to them. The review comes as…