Europe’s MiCA rollout sparks debate over who wins under new crypto rules
As Europe’s crypto rulebook takes full effect, industry leaders agree regulation is here to stay, but disagree over whether it protects consumers or favors the biggest firms.
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Summary
- The European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation is now fully in force, requiring any crypto firm serving customers in the 27-nation bloc to hold a MiCA license or cease operations.
- Lawyers and executives say MiCA brings welcome regulatory clarity but warn that high compliance costs could shrink the number of licensed providers and disadvantage startups while favoring larger, better-resourced firms.
- Industry leaders support the goal of transparency and consumer protection but question whether EU regulators can effectively police unlicensed offshore platforms and ensure a level playing field for compliant exchanges.
