esma

According to Ledger Insights, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) recently published the "Trends, Risks, and Vulnerabilities Report for the First Half of 2026," in which digital assets and prediction markets occupy three chapters. Regarding crypto assets, the report warns that the increasing ties between cryptocurrencies and the traditional financial sector pose risks. Concerning tokenization, the report points out that issuing different tokenized versions of the same stock may lead to fragmented liquidity.As for prediction markets, the report believes that prediction markets have not yet seen significant development in Europe. This is because major platforms do not yet hold EU licenses, and in most cases, they need to obtain licenses. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) outlines some potential advantages of tokenization, including increased efficiency, expanded investor access, programmability, and atomic settlement. On the other hand, ESMA also questions how much these advantages are actually realized within these encapsulated structures.Since the ownership of the underlying stocks is off-chain, there is no single data source on-chain, and self-custody can only be achieved indirectly through these structures. Tokenization structures also introduce additional layers of intermediaries, leading to complexity and risk. The settlement advantages are also difficult to realize. Even if token transfers occur on-chain, the cash portion of the transaction is usually settled separately, whether through bank payments or other channels. This means that for certain transactions, the promised atomic settlement (i.e., simultaneous delivery of securities and cash) has not yet been achieved.

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) stated in its latest risk report that major prediction market platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi have not obtained the necessary authorization to provide event contract services in the EU, and some platforms only restrict users from certain EU countries. ESMA questioned the effectiveness of their geographical restrictions and VPN blocking measures.ESMA pointed out that event contracts may be classified as financial instruments based on their specific structure, fall under the MiCA framework, or be regulated by member states' betting regulations. If classified as financial instruments, their marketing, distribution, and sale to retail investors are generally subject to existing binary options restrictions.

On July 31, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) updated the registration list for the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), adding 12 companies. This is the fourth update since the transition deadline on July 1, bringing the total number of authorized Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASP) under MiCA to 321.The newly added entities include three cooperative banks from Germany: Volksbank Raiffeisenbank Oberbayern Südost, VR Bank Schleswig-Holstein Mitte, and VR-Bank Landau-Mengkofen; Spain's Basque Pay and Fintech Payments; as well as France's Finary, Woorton, Blockchain Process Security, and Shares Financial Assets. ESMA also added Cervo Rendisco, Flandenzo, and Corona Fondenza to the list of non-compliant entities, with the relevant markings coming from the Italian securities regulator Commissione Nazionale per le Società e la Borsa (CONSOB). The non-compliant entity list currently contains 167 items.This update did not involve any other changes to the MiCA-related registration lists. The number of authorized Electronic Money Token (EMT) issuers remains at 41, and there are currently no entities on the registration list for Asset-Referenced Tokens (ART).

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) updated the temporary MiCA registration list on Friday, adding 15 licensed Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASP), bringing the total to 309. The newly added institutions include BNY SA/NV, the Belgian subsidiary of the American banking giant BNY Mellon.The new list includes 4 banking institutions, of which 3 are from Germany, along with digital asset platforms such as BitPay, Coinify, and Bleap. Germany and Denmark each added 3 CASPs, Bulgaria and Latvia each added 2, and Belgium, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, and the Netherlands each added 1. ESMA stated that this update did not change other MiCA-related registration lists, including Asset-Referenced Tokens (ART), Electronic Money Tokens (EMT), and authorized issuers of crypto assets, as well as the list of non-compliant entities. Previously, after the transition period deadline on July 1, ESMA's second update had added 14 CASPs, including Ripple Payments Europe.

ESMA has included 14 new cryptocurrency companies, including Ripple Payments Europe, in its MiCA registration list, bringing the total number of licensed cryptocurrency service providers to 294.

According to Cointelegraph, the transitional period for the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) will end on July 1, 2026.The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) stated that at that time, crypto asset service providers that have not obtained MiCA authorization, even if their applications are still under review, will not be allowed to continue providing services to EU customers and should initiate business winding down and customer migration arrangements.

According to the proposal, the regulatory authority over cross-border institutions that are systemically important will be transferred from the competent authorities of each member state to ESMA, covering large CASPs, trading venues, central counterparties, and central securities depositories. This is the most significant structural adjustment to the EU's crypto regulatory framework since the full implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) for CASPs at the end of 2024.Under the current MiCA framework, the national competent authorities act as the frontline regulators, while ESMA plays only a coordinating role.

According to a report by Reuters, the European Central Bank recently stated its support for the European Commission's push to transfer regulatory authority over systemically important cross-border financial market participants, such as cryptocurrency service providers, major trading venues, central counterparties, and central securities depositories, from national regulators to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). This initiative aims to deepen the integration of the EU capital markets and enhance overall competitiveness.The European Central Bank suggested that the ESMA Board establish a non-voting central bank seat and emphasized that ESMA needs to obtain sufficient resources and personnel to smoothly take over the new responsibilities. The relevant proposal will be negotiated by EU member states and the European Parliament, and it is expected to take several months to finalize legislation.

Israeli military spokesman: We are prepared to launch military operations against Iran for several weeks.

The Israeli military spokesperson stated that there are currently no plans for a ground offensive against Lebanon and indicated that military deployments on the Israeli side of the border have been expanded, rather than entering Lebanese territory.

The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Baghaei, stated on the evening of February 28 that Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Raisi are both "safe and sound." Baghaei made this statement during interviews with ABC News and Sky News. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered a speech that evening, claiming that there are increasing signs that Khamenei "is no longer alive." Israeli media subsequently cited reports from senior officials indicating that Khamenei "has passed away." (Xinhua)

The European Union's Commissioner for Financial Services, Mairead McGuinness, stated on Tuesday that the EU hopes to begin implementing its capital markets integration package of reforms by 2027, providing guidance for the first time on the timeline for this reform. "We should push for discussions and approvals of this package as soon as possible; ideally, it would be very desirable to start implementation in 2027."Last week, the European Commission announced plans to grant its market regulator, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), greater supervisory and enforcement powers as part of a series of measures to integrate fragmented capital markets.The proposal still requires approval from the European Parliament and the EU Council, with some member states strongly opposing it. Centralizing regulatory power will bring important clearing houses, central securities depositories, and trading platforms under ESMA's jurisdiction, and cryptocurrency companies will also be subject to ESMA regulation. The EU has also committed to a comprehensive review of banking regulatory rules by the end of next year, and the European Central Bank will announce proposals for simplifying bank regulation on Thursday, which will be included in the EU Commission's overall reform efforts.

The European Commission plans to transfer regulatory authority over cryptocurrency companies to the EU's market regulatory body as part of a package of measures for the "comprehensive integration" of financial markets.The European Commission stated that incorporating cryptocurrency regulation into the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) will make regulation more effective and benefit cross-border activities. This move aims to address the fragmentation caused by differences in regulatory approaches among the 27 member states. Previously, individual national regulators, including France's AMF, Austria's FMA, and Italy's Consob, expressed concerns about the implementation of MiCA and called for ESMA to strengthen oversight. The proposal still needs to be negotiated and approved by the European Parliament and the European Council.

According to Cointelegraph, the European Commission has proposed to expand the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)'s regulatory powers over cryptocurrencies and financial markets, aiming to narrow the competitive gap with the United States.The proposal would transfer direct regulatory authority over key market infrastructures such as crypto asset service providers (CASPs), trading venues, and central counterparties to ESMA. The proposal still requires approval from the European Parliament and Council. If passed, ESMA's role in regulating EU capital markets will be more similar to the centralized framework of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Previously, France, Austria, and Italy have called for ESMA to take over the regulation of major cryptocurrency companies.

According to Bloomberg, the European Commission plans to empower the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to conduct unified regulation of all crypto asset service providers operating in the EU and to be responsible for licensing. The draft indicates that ESMA may delegate tasks to national regulatory authorities when necessary. These draft plans must also be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of Member States. Currently, crypto asset service providers only need to be approved in one member state to operate throughout the EU under the 2023 MiCA rules.

According to CoinDesk, less than a year after the implementation of the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), various issues have already begun to emerge, and regulators are working to prevent these problems from worsening. Currently, there are concerns that some member states are issuing licenses too quickly.The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) intends to adopt more centralized and stringent measures for cryptocurrency regulation within its jurisdiction, although specific details of the plans remain unclear. One potential change involves liquidity sharing outside the EU and the use of a unified order book. From a regulatory perspective, shared order books could blur the lines of responsibility for matching trades, information disclosure, risk management, and best execution; from a trader's perspective, aggregating buy and sell orders from a broader audience can create greater liquidity, facilitate easier transactions, and yield more accurate pricing.ESMA has not provided a specific response regarding the shared order book issue, but in an email, it stated that its position earlier this year during a Q&A session—where it was mentioned that "MiCA does not allow cryptocurrency trading companies to merge their order books with any non-EU, non-MiCA regulated trading platforms"—is aimed at ensuring a fair competitive environment in the application of MiCA within the EU, and it will continue to work towards this goal.

ChainCatcher news, according to market reports, the European Commission is brewing a comprehensive reform plan to grant the EU market regulatory authority—the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)—direct oversight of stock exchanges, cryptocurrency companies, and clearinghouses.ESMA Chair Verena Ross stated that this move aims to address the long-standing issue of fragmentation in the EU financial markets and to create a more integrated and globally competitive capital market. Currently, the regulatory authority over crypto asset service providers (CASPs) is mainly exercised by individual member states under the MiCA framework, but ESMA believes that this fragmented regulation is inefficient and undermines consumer protection. However, the proposal has faced opposition from smaller countries like Luxembourg and Malta, which warn that centralizing power could harm the local financial industry.

ChainCatcher news, according to market reports, the EU has set a year-end goal to take further measures by the end of the year to promote pension investments and simplify trading processes, striving to inject momentum into the revival of European capital markets.EU Financial Services Commissioner Mairead McGuinness announced the relevant plans on Thursday. She also stated that the European Commission is considering granting its highest market regulatory authority located in Paris—the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)—direct supervisory powers. She mentioned that with the transfer of regulatory powers to ESMA, the European Commission will consider the feasibility of implementing centralized supervision over certain market infrastructures such as central counterparties, central securities depositories, and trading venues. She added that emerging areas such as crypto asset service providers will also benefit from more centralized regulation, emphasizing that this move will not undermine the role of national regulatory authorities.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, after discovering differences in the implementation of cryptocurrency regulations across countries, the financial regulators of France, Austria, and Italy urged the EU's top regulatory body to directly oversee large cryptocurrency companies and tighten relevant rules.The EU will implement the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) by the end of 2024, requiring cryptocurrency companies to obtain a license in at least one EU member state to operate across the entire EU. In a position paper released on Monday, the financial market regulators of the three countries stated that this approach exposes "significant differences" in the regulation of companies across countries, allowing businesses to exploit loopholes, and suggested transferring oversight of the industry's largest firms to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). They also noted that the initial implementation of MiCA has shown limited convergence in regulation, making it difficult to ensure uniform EU standards. An ESMA spokesperson responded that they are working to ensure regulatory consistency and had already suggested reconsidering areas for strengthening EU-level regulation last year. Additionally, the three regulators may take precautionary measures to mitigate risks and called for enhanced regulation of global platforms, cybersecurity, and token issuance.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the financial regulatory authority of the European 28-country trade alliance—the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)—has conducted a peer review of Malta's implementation under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework, with a particular focus on the fast-tracking authorization process for a certain unnamed crypto company.The ESMA Peer Review Committee (PRC) specifically examined the authorization status of the crypto asset service provider (CASP entity), and despite "significant issues remaining unresolved or requiring remediation" at the time of obtaining MiCA authorization, the entity was still approved for authorization.