Crypto has become a trillion-dollar asset class but remains lightly regulated in many parts of the world. But the European Union’s Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) Regulation could mark the beginning of a new era. As the first significant legislation of its kind, MiCA could become a template for the U.S. and other parts of the world.
In this article, we’ll look at the EU’s new MiCA and what it means for crypto investors, traders, projects, and service providers.
What is MiCA?
The Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) Regulation is a European Union regulation governing crypto assets and stablecoins. In particular, it applies stricter rules to stablecoins, more disclosure obligations for businesses, and new data security and reporting procedures. The goal is to help protect investors and ensure financial stability.
The European Parliament adopted the pioneering legislation on April 20, 2023. It will likely go into effect between mid-2024 and early 2025.
What Are the New Rules?
MiCA applies to any person or entity “engaged in the issuance, offer to the public and admission to trading of crypto assets or that provide services related to crypto assets in the Union.”
Crypto Asset Service Providers
Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASPs) โ such as exchanges, asset managers, custody providers, or advisors โ that provide professional crypto-related services will require a special license from at least one EU member country and must adhere to strict requirements to protect investor funds โ including legal liability for investor assets.
The new rules also introduce requirements to help trace crypto asset transfers and prevent money laundering. In particular, transfers above โฌ1,000 from self-hosted wallets would be reportable. That way, regulators can trace or block suspicious transactions, mirroring similar “travel rule” capabilities already used in traditional finance.
Crypto Asset Issuers
Crypto asset issuers must produce a “whitepaper” informing potential holders about a token before offering it to the public. In particular, the whitepaper must provide information about the issuer, details about the project, and any rights and obligations attached to the token. Some projects may also require regulatory approval before launch.
While many projects fall under these reporting requirements, the regulation carves out an exception for smaller projects to avoid overburdening startups. Projects offered to fewer than 150 EU residents or worth less than โฌ1 million over 12 months are exempt from the obligation to publish a whitepaper but must adhere to other rules.
What Assets Does It Impact?
MiCA defines crypto assets as “a digital representation of value or rights which may be transferred and stored electronically, using distributed ledger technology or similar technology.”
It breaks down these assets into several categories:
- Asset Reference Tokens (ARTs) โ ARTs maintain a stable value by referring to the value of a basket of fiat currencies or commodities.
- Electronic Money Tokens (EMTs) โ EMTs maintain a stable value by referring to the value of a single fiat currency that is legal tender.
- Other Crypto Assets โ These include other tokens, such as utility tokens, that don’t necessarily tie their value to an existing asset.
MiCA imposes new rules on ARTs and EMTs designed to prevent systemic risks. For example, ARTs require approval from local authorities before publishing their whitepapers, while EMTs and other crypto assets must notify regulators of their whitepapers. The regulations also require projects to ensure investors can redeem their ARTs and EMTs anytime.
However, MiCA excludes decentralized finance (DeFi), non-fungible tokens (NFTs), security tokens, and other crypto assets. Some of these other crypto assets already have applicable regulations or specific features legislators must analyze further. And the rules leave room for regulators to monitor extensive NFT collections.
Pros & Cons
The crypto industry has generally supported the MiCA regulations, but there are a couple of causes for concern.
Pros
- Clarity โ MiCA is the most comprehensive crypto regulatory framework thus far, helping legitimize crypto-based businesses in the European Union.
- Protection โ Service providers and issuers are accountable for safeguarding investor assets, while stablecoin regulations help ensure consistent liquidity.
- Unity โ MiCA provides a consistent set of rules and regulations across the European Union, reducing any country-specific ambiguities and making it more accessible.
Cons
- Privacy โ MiCA requires that withdrawals over โฌ1,000 to self-hosted wallets be declared, which could compromise anonymity for large transactions.
- Enforcement โ Privacy coins and smart contracts make it easy to bypass conventional tracking methods, which could lead to problems enforcing these new rules.
FAQs
What does MiCA mean for crypto?
MiCA offers the first significant regulatory framework for crypto asset issuers and service providers.
What are the categories of crypto assets in MiCA?
MiCA groups crypto assets into asset reference tokens (ARTs), e-money tokens (EMTs), and other crypto assets.
Is MiCA approved by the EU Parliament?
The EU Parliament approved MiCA on April 20, 2023, but won’t go into effect until 2024 or 2025.
Is Bitcoin regulated by MiCA?
Yes, Bitcoin and other crypto assets fall under MiCA regulations, but most of the rules apply to ART and EMT issuers and service providers.
The Bottom Line
The crypto industry has become a trillion-dollar asset class, but regulations remain early-stage. With the passage of MiCA, the European Union offered the first comprehensive set of rules that could form a template for the U.S. and other countries. However, there are some important exceptions and risks to keep in mind.
These rules contrast the current U.S. approach, which attempts to apply existing laws and regulations to digital assets. Unfortunately, the inherent differences between conventional and digital assets have made these rules ambiguous. This is especially true when it comes to tax laws and modern DeFi and transfer protocols.
If you trade crypto assets in the U.S., ZenLedger can help you organize everything for tax time. The platform aggregates transactions across wallets and exchanges, computes your capital gain or loss, and generates tax forms. You can also identify opportunities to save with tax-loss harvesting tools while accessing the information you need for any audit.
