🇪🇺 EU Regulatory Shift: ESMA Proposes Expanding MiCA to Include DeFi, Staking, and Crypto Lending
📅 September 30 Industry Update
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has officially submitted policy recommendations to the European Commission to significantly expand the scope of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, formally incorporating DeFi access gateways, staking, and crypto lending.
💡 Core Proposals:
• Extending Oversight: Requires DeFi gateways, staking, and crypto lending platforms to strictly disclose costs, risks, and collateral arrangements.
• Crackdown on Unapproved Stablecoins: Explicitly bans regulated crypto entities from providing services related to stablecoins not fully approved under MiCA.
• Curbing Offshore Entities: Empowers ESMA with stronger cross-border enforcement against unauthorized offshore entities targeting EU investors.
🚀 Industry Impact:
Short-term compliance costs will rise for European DeFi protocols, but long-term it clears grey areas to establish a transparent tokenized capital market, paving the way for institutional capital.
#Web3 #MiCA #ESMA #DeFi #Staking #CryptoRegulation
October 2, 2026 2
