The European Union, even in the very recent past, did not have any regulations on cryptocurrencies. However, the European Commission, the EU’sEU’s executive arm, has come up with regulations to overlook the cryptocurrency world, which is believed to be a significant step for monitoring digital assets.
What kind of regulations are expected?
The leaked European Commission draft suggests that every cryptocurrency should be treated as any other regulated monetary instrument. As per Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA), new rules on digital assets custody and the capital requirement will be provided. The regulations would also define the relationship between the token issuer and the token holder with proper guidelines to file complaints against projects.
The idea of a regulatory sandbox initiative for companies developing infrastructure for trading and settlement of digital assets has also been highlighted in the proposal. The new regulations aim to give legal certainty to the issuer of the digital assets simultaneously, reducing the risk of the investors.
As per the proposal laid down by the commission, the cryptocurrency developers should issue “white paper” providing detailed information about the issuer, the token, and the trading platform so that it becomes easy for the potential purchaser to make an informed decision and also understand the risk related to his investment.
These documents are to be vetted by the EU regulators before the issuer commences the operation. The draft also highlights that the European Banking Authority (EBA) shall be empowered with rights to carry on site investigation and impose fines up to 5 percent of the total annual revenue of the crypto firm or double the amount of the profits gained by these cryptocurrencies because of the violation of the guidelines.
One of the main aims of regulating cryptocurrency is to reduce market fragmentation. The new regulation suggests that the cryptocurrency companies authorized by any of the 27 countries under the European Union will be able to operate across all other member states.
How would the Cryptocurrency world react?
Experts think that the regulations will bring hindrances in the growth of the cryptocurrency world. With a community of 2.7 billion people, Facebook’sFacebook’s Libra is a concern for the regulators. Backed by Central Bank issued currency like U.S. Dollars and government debt, the stablecoin could enable money laundering and destabilize monetary policy while jeopardizing user privacy.
The final word
The regulation update is based on the leaked 167 page draft by the European Commission. It is, however, going to see the light of the day by this year. If passed, MiCA would turn the European Union into the largest and most regulated space for cryptocurrency across the world.