Ukrainian Central Bank: Opposes the current cryptocurrency bill, demands revisions before the final review

According to CoinDesk, the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) stated that it does not support the current version of the draft for the legalization and regulation of crypto assets, calling on lawmakers to continue revising it before the final vote.

The NBU supports advancing regulation by referring to the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and recommendations from the International Monetary Fund, but believes that draft No. 10225-d still does not address its key concerns, and the final text was only delivered on Tuesday night, leaving insufficient time for review and lacking transparency in the legislative process.

The NBU warned that foreign tokens not adequately regulated in their place of issuance may enter Ukraine, some of which could function as electronic money, threatening monetary sovereignty and financial stability, and bypassing requirements applicable to domestic similar assets. The NBU hopes to obtain the authority to assess and limit their use when necessary.

Regarding market access, the NBU stated that a preliminary compromise had been reached to select three crypto trading platform operators through competition, but the final draft leaves the number of access points for the first five years to the discretion of the securities regulatory authority, raising concerns about monopolies and corruption risks. According to the draft, the National Securities and Stock Market Commission of Ukraine will become the main regulator, with a 5% transitional tax rate applicable to existing crypto assets until the end of 2028, and transactions between crypto assets explicitly exempt from tax.