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Cut the red tape: 39 financial giants demand an emergency fast-track for Europe’s blockchain pilot
The firms requested separating the DLT pilot regime from a larger package of 18 financial laws to allow for quicker updates and build real markets.
Apr 21, 2026, 2:30 p.m.
What to know:
- In a joint letter, 39 financial and technology firms urged the EU to fast-track DLT rules, warning that delays could cause the region to fall behind the U.S. in digital finance.
- The firms requested separating the DLT pilot regime from a larger package of 18 financial laws to allow for quicker updates and build real markets.
- Requested changes include raising DLT transaction limits to 150 billion euros and removing license expiry dates, but the EU Commission prefers passing the full package together.
They argue that handling the rules on their own would allow quicker updates, Bloomberg reports. The DLT pilot, in place since 2023, lets firms test how tokenized versions of assets like shares and bonds can trade and settle using blockchains.
It sits within a wider set of 18 financial laws now moving through the EU’s legislative process, a path industry groups say could take years.
The coalition is pushing for practical changes, including expanding the types of assets allowed, raising transaction limits to 150 billion euros ($176 billion) and removing expiry dates on licenses. These changes, they argue, would give firms room to build real markets rather than small trials.
