Quantcast
Visa's Data Partner Allium Labs Raises $16.5M as Their New Findings Show Stablecoin Activity is Back Up
OKX Europe head sees more crypto mergers as MiCA rules roll out
Ethereum (ETH) Remains Inflationary as Circulating Supply Spikes
Microsoft's giant outage hits airports, banks and major companies
Solana attracts giants like Paypal and Stripe
Payment giant Stripe now offers cryptocurrency purchases by credit card in Europe
Vitalik Buterin, as Other Crypto Leaders Line Up Behind Trump, Argues Against Picking Candidates Just Because They Like Crypto
German government's bitcoin selloff nets $2.9 billion as film piracy case marches on
Singapore court ruling fans suspicions the $125m Multichain hack was an inside job
Will Bitcoin 2024 Conference Be a Game Changer for Crypto?
Plaintiffs File New, Slimmed Down Complaint in Class Action Lawsuit Against Tether
Forbes releases the best crypto top 10 of the year 2024, +90 at 1300%
Why JPMorgan sees a Bitcoin rebound in August
Europe Conquering the Crypto Market: $100 Trillion at Stake!
Binance CEO on 200 million user milestone: 'Crypto has become too big to ignore and is not going away'
SEC Relaxes Crypto Reporting Rules for Banks and Brokerages
Germany Almost Done Selling Bitcoin, Holding Less Than 5K Tokens After Latest Moves
US lawmakers take action in Congress to free Binance executive in Nigeria
Ethereum Jumps 11% in 4 Days: US CPI, Imminent ETF Launch Could Accelerate Rise
Crypto Exchange BitMEX Pleads Guilty to Violating the Bank Secrecy Act From 2015 to 2020
Cyprus Issues Alert to Accounting Professionals to Combat Crypto Terror Financing
French giant Vivendi now authenticates and protects its content via blockchain
Crypto: SEC on the Verge of Approving Ethereum ETFs
Italy to change crypto regulations to comply with MiCA
France’s shock election wins will upend crypto tax cuts, industry fears
Digital Asset Investment Products Gain $441M Amid Mt. Gox, German Sell-Offs: CoinShares
Metis co-founder's ZKM plans to launch Bitcoin Layer 2 GOAT Network
Prediction Markets and Polls Both Got the French Election Wrong
The duel between Gensler and Coinbase continues
Binance CEO: Company co-founder 'took full responsibility for past mistakes'

European Crypto Initiative: ‘latest guidance from FINMA on the issuance of stablecoins has sparked a lot of discussion’

Policy
Webp eurocrypto
Members of the European Crypto Initiative | X/EUCInitiative

The European Crypto Initiative (ECI) announced that its policy expert Vyara Savova contributed to an analysis of the new stablecoin guidelines published by FINMA, the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority. The analysis compares these guidelines to the European Union’s (EU) stablecoin regulations from the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) legislation. ECI shared its statement in an August 16 post on X.

"The latest guidance from FINMA on the issuance of stablecoins has sparked a lot of discussion, but how does it stack up against the EU's MiCA regulation," said ECI. "Here's what you need to know according to our Policy Expert @VyaraSavova on @VixioRegulatory."

FINMA published guidance on the issuance of stablecoins on July 8. In this guidance, FINMA "provides information on aspects of financial market law that arise in relation to stablecoin projects and the impacts of such projects on the supervised institutions." This guidance addresses risks related to money laundering, terrorist financing, and sanctions circumvention.

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Crypto Republique
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

According to a release from Elliptic, the EU’s MiCA regulations took effect on June 30 for all stablecoin issuers, ushering in "a new era of regulatory oversight for innovators in the Crypto space." The new rule states that "issuers must now obtain approval from relevant members of state authorities before offering their tokens within the EU, or when offering stablecoins pegged to the euro or other member state currency."

Key points of the new FINMA guidance were outlined in a paper published by VIXIO on August 7, with contributions from Savova, according to ECI's post. The paper stressed the importance of adhering to financial market laws, "particularly in the areas of banking and collective investment schemes." It also emphasized that stablecoins pose a heightened risk for illicit transactions due to their susceptibility to anonymous transactions. Thus, according to a founding member and advisor to SwissAssetDAO, FINMA’s regulations are "essential for maintaining the integrity not just of the financial system but rather make it clearer that stablecoins should and must be backed by robust guarantees and adhere to stringent AML [anti-money laundering] standards."

According to VIXIO's paper, the EU's MiCA regulations contrast with FINMA's by creating "a comprehensive regime for asset-referenced tokens and e-money tokens, focusing on claims against issuers, backed by sufficient reserves and authorization requirements."

Savova is an experienced EU human rights and tech lawyer who graduated from the University of London. She has significant experience in healthcare and financial sectors as well as blockchain and crypto regulations and licensing. Currently, she is a Senior Policy Leader at European Crypto Initiative where she has been since 2022.

More News

The UK cryptocurrency market continues to pose challenges for exchanges as they adapt to stricter regulatory requirements. Cryptocurrency exchange Bitget recently relaunched its UK platform after halting services in May 2024 to comply with the UK Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) Financial Promotions regime. This relaunch reflects Bitget’s efforts to align with the FCA’s evolving standards, aimed at enhancing consumer protection in the digital asset space.

Nov 24, 2024

The Italian government recently announced a plan to increase the capital gains tax on bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies from 26% to 42%. This proposal, part of broader fiscal measures to support election pledges and reduce Italy’s fiscal deficit, has raised concerns among cryptocurrency investors and industry leaders.

Nov 24, 2024

On November 14, the European Banking Authority (EBA) released comprehensive guidelines for Payment Service Providers (PSPs) and Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) to ensure alignment with European Union (EU) and national restrictive measures. These guidelines aim to reduce risks and strengthen compliance when transferring funds or crypto assets.

Nov 22, 2024

The UK government is set to introduce new cryptocurrency regulations aimed at countering the growing appeal of the United States as a destination for crypto businesses. In response to concerns of regulatory delays following Brexit, the legislation focuses on establishing a clearer framework for stablecoins and staking activities, with the goal of strengthening the UK’s position as a global hub for digital assets.

Nov 22, 2024

OpenAI, the world’s largest artificial intelligence company, has announced it will establish a new base in Paris.

Nov 20, 2024

On October 30, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a capital gains tax (CGT) rate increase for high-income individuals, raising it to 24%. This change has raised concerns in the cryptocurrency community, where some investors fear that increased tax and regulatory pressures will diminish the UK's appeal for digital asset investment.

Nov 20, 2024