European regulators need more powers to police crypto, watchdog says

European regulators need more powers to police crypto, watchdog says

PARIS, Sept 30 : The European Securities and Markets Authority said on Wednesday that European regulators should be given more powers to help them enforce crypto rules, and that ESMA should be able to tell crypto companies to freeze crypto assets when they have reasonable grounds to suspect that they are linked to c

ESMA Seeks MiCA Expansion for DeFi Gateways, Staking and Lending

The European Union could bring DeFi access providers, staking and crypto lending under a broader MiCA framework after ESMA proposed new rules for services that remain partly outside the bloc’s existing crypto regime. Firms that provide users with access to decentralized finance protocols would become a new regulated crypto-asset service, while clearer criteria would determine… Continue reading ESMA Seeks MiCA Expansion for DeFi Gateways, Staking…

ESMA proposes licensing the gateways into DeFi, not the protocols themselves

The European Union’s markets watchdog wants to regulate the gateways into decentralized finance rather than the code itself. In its MiCA review response, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) proposed a new regulated crypto-asset service for firms that give customers access to DeFi protocols. The proposal has the potential to transform the method in...

ESMA calls for expanded powers to enforce EU crypto regulations

ESMA wants powers to freeze crypto assets, block scam websites and ban misleading marketing as part of the European Commission's MiCA review.

ESMA, the EU markets watchdog, wants stronger enforcement of EU crypto regulation

Regulators across the European Union may soon get sharper teeth when it comes to crypto oversight. On Wednesday, September 30, 2026, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) said national watchdogs and ESMA itself need broader authority to enforce the bloc’s crypto rulebook, arguing...