The post MiCA Approval Is Not the Finish Line for Crypto Custodians appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
Getting licensed under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework is only the beginning for crypto custodians, as regulators turn their attention from authorization to operational resilience. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) on Wednesday launched a Common Supervisory Action (CSA) to examine the operational resilience of crypto asset service providers (CASPs), placing custody services at the center of the review. “The signal is quite clear: for custodians, a licence is the start line, not the finish,” Sebastien Dessimoz, co-founder and managing partner at digital asset infrastructure firm Taurus, told Cointelegraph. The review comes shortly after MiCA’s transitional period expired, marking one of the first major supervisory exercises under the EU’s new crypto framework. From claiming security to proving it The ESMA told Cointelegraph
A MiCA license allows crypto firms to operate in the EU, but the ESMA’s review will test whether custodians can meet the required security and resilience standards.
The post ESMA Market Capitalisation Data Unveils EU Financial Insights appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
A new transparency mechanism is now live in EU financial markets. The European Securities and Markets Authority has released its first-ever batch of ESMA market capitalisation data for EU Member States, covering reference years 2024 and 2025 — and the publication carries more regulatory weight than a routine data drop might suggest. Key takeaways ESMA published annual market capitalisation figures and ratios for all EU Member States for 2024 and 2025 on July 10, 2026. This is the first implementation of ESMA’s mandate under the FASTER Directive, marking a new phase in EU financial market regulation. Member States whose market size exceeds 1.5% of total EU market capitalisation for four consecutive years become subject to specific withholding tax relief requirements. ESMA developed dedicated technical standards governing the calculation methodology behind the figures. Updated figu
Europe’s stablecoin rulebook is becoming much more real. ESMA’s finalized MiCA guidelines add another layer of detail to how stablecoin issuers and service providers are expected to operate inside the bloc, especially wh
The post Europe’s ESMA Launches CSA to Increase Crypto Compliance appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
ESMA launched a CSA to assess digital operational resilience of CASPs, focusing on custody services. NCAs will carry out the exercise on a risk-based sample of authorized CASPs, targeting DLT-related risks. The findings from NCAs will be submitted to ESMA’s Board of Supervisors after the exercise ends in H2 2027. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) is launching a Common Supervisory Action (CSA) focused on the digital operational resilience of Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASPs), with particular attention to custody services. National competent authorities (NCAs) will conduct the review on a risk based sample of authorized CASPs during the first half of 2027. ESMA Launches CSA on Crypto Custody Providers On July 8, 2026, ESMA, the EU regulator and supervisor, announced the launch of a CSA targeting the digital operational resilience of CASPs, with a particular focu
The post ESMA Launches First Coordinated Crypto Custody Review Under MiCA appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
For EU crypto custodians, the grace period is over. With the Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation now fully enforced, the European Securities and Markets Authority has shifted from rulemaking to active supervision. Its first Common Supervisory Action on crypto-asset service providers puts custody operations under direct scrutiny, according to the original report. National regulators will begin risk-based reviews that run into 2027, zeroing in on governance, key management, transaction controls, incident response, smart contract risks, and third-party dependencies. The CSA is not a one-off check. It represents a structured, coordinated effort across all member states to test the digital operational resilience of firms holding client crypto assets. The fact that ESMA chose custody as the first target says a lot about where regulators see the greatest risk. Private key mismanageme
The post ESMA Launches Custody Audits for EU Crypto Platforms Following MiCA Implementation appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
Key Highlights European regulators initiate coordinated custody audits following MiCA’s full activation. Crypto service providers undergo scrutiny on client asset safeguarding mechanisms. Examination covers private key management, governance structures, and transaction oversight. MiCA framework transitions from registration phase to active compliance verification. Comprehensive findings expected by 2027 to identify custody vulnerabilities across member states. European securities regulators have initiated a comprehensive custody examination targeting crypto firms operating under the new MiCA regulatory framework. The investigation evaluates how licensed providers safeguard customer holdings and address operational vulnerabilities. This coordinated effort aims to establish uniform protection standards throughout the European Union. Pan-European Custody Investi
The post ESMA Says EU Retail Ban Covers Many Prediction Markets, With MiCA Awaiting the Tokenized Ones appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
Key Takeaways ESMA said event contracts that qualify as financial instruments are already barred from EU retail sale under binary-options rules. The prohibition rests on national measures in force since 2018, so no new legislation is required to apply it. Two regulatory tracks, both already in force In a public statement issued on July 3, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) set out how existing EU law applies to event contracts, the yes-or-no instruments underpinning prediction markets. Its central conclusion is that many of these contracts are not a novel product category requiring new rules, but already fall within measures on the books – a point that goes further than framing the issue as future regulatory risk. ESMA’s reasoning is that event contracts whose underlying question relates to an asset listed in Section C(4) to (10)
Europe’s top securities regulator has clarified that many prediction-market event contracts already fall under the EU’s existing retail ban on binary options – meaning the restriction is live law, not a proposed rule – while contracts issued as blockchain tokens may instead be caught by the bloc’s crypto framework. The statement leaves platforms such as […]
The post ESMA Starts First MiCA Crypto Custody Review. appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
ESMA reviews CASPs to assess custody security, governance, and operational resilience under MiCA rules. EU regulators will examine key management, incident response, and third-party service risks. Crypto custody firms face stricter oversight as MiCA shifts toward active market supervision. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has launched its first major review of crypto custody providers under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, targeting operational resilience and asset protection standards across the European Union. ESMA Begins MiCA Review of Crypto Custody Operations On July 8, ESMA announced the launch of a Common Supervisory Action (CSA) focused on crypto-asset service providers (CASPs), with particular attention on custody services and digital operational resilience. The initiative will be conducted alongside national competent authorities across the European Un
ESMA reviews CASPs to assess custody security, governance, and operational resilience under MiCA rules. EU regulators will examine key management, incident response, and third-party service risks. Crypto custody firms face stricter oversight as MiCA shifts toward active market supervision. The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has launched its first major review of crypto custody […]
The post ESMA Launches First MiCA Crypto Custody Review: What Firms Face Next appeared first on Live Bitcoin News.
The post AscendEX Exchange Collapse Hands Europe Its First MiCA Test appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) launched its first supervisory sweep of licensed crypto firms on July 8, putting custody resilience under EU-wide review. It comes days after MiCA took full effect and popular crypto exchange AscendEX (formerly BitMax) collapsed. ESMA has not connected the two events. However, the timing hands regulators a live example of what failed crypto custody costs users. ESMA Custody Review Targets Crypto’s Weakest Point In its July 8 release, ESMA said the Common Supervisory Action (CSA) will assess how crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) manage custody risks. National regulators will examine a risk-based sample of authorized firms from late 2026 into early 2027. The exercise targets risks specific to distributed ledger technology (DLT). Reviewers will test governance, key and storage management, transaction controls, incident detecti
The post ESMA Crypto Custody Review Marks New Enforcement Phase appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
Europe’s crypto industry is about to face its most rigorous operational stress test yet. On 8 July 2026, the European Securities and Markets Authority launched a Common Supervisory Action targeting crypto custody — the function at the very heart of how firms protect client assets — marking a decisive shift in the ESMA crypto custody review from regulatory theory into hard enforcement reality. Key takeaways ESMA launched a coordinated Common Supervisory Action on 8 July 2026, placing crypto custody services under direct scrutiny across the EU. The review runs from the second half of 2026 through the first half of 2027, with a consolidated report expected in the second half of 2027. National competent authorities will conduct risk-based reviews of a sample of the 280 authorised providers now registered under MiCA. Ripple received full CASP authorisation from Luxembourg’s CSSF on 6 July 20
ESMA's review under MiCA signals a shift to stringent enforcement, impacting crypto custodians' operational standards across the EU.
The post ESMA launches first coordinated crypto custody review under MiCA appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
The post ESMA Reviews Crypto Custody Security Under EU Rules appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), a key EU regulator supporting the implementation of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, is launching a dedicated process for reviewing crypto custody providers. ESMA plans to conduct a common supervisory action (CSA) focused on the operational resilience of crypto-asset service providers (CASPs), with a specific emphasis on custody services, according to an official announcement on Wednesday. “The CSA will assess the maturity of CASPs’ digital operational resilience frameworks in relation to custody activities,” ESMA said, adding that the reviews will focus on areas including key and storage management, alongside other operational risks. The move comes shortly after the end of MiCA’s transition phase on July 1, prompting increased attention to how EU authorities will supervise compliance with the new framework, including pote
ESMA's review under MiCA could enhance crypto market integrity and investor protection, influencing digital asset valuations and regulatory trends.
The post ESMA to review crypto custody providers under MiCA framework appeared first on Crypto Briefing.
On July 3, ESMA issued a statement warning that some event contracts resembling binary options could fall under current derivatives regulation. The regulator stressed that firms offering these instruments should assess whether these contracts fall under this classification to comply with regulatory requirements. Europe Puts Its Sights on Binary Options-Like Event Markets The European Securities […]
