esma

Israeli military spokesman: We are prepared to launch military operations against Iran for several weeks.

The Israeli military spokesperson stated that there are currently no plans for a ground offensive against Lebanon and indicated that military deployments on the Israeli side of the border have been expanded, rather than entering Lebanese territory.

The spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, Baghaei, stated on the evening of February 28 that Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei and President Raisi are both "safe and sound." Baghaei made this statement during interviews with ABC News and Sky News. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu delivered a speech that evening, claiming that there are increasing signs that Khamenei "is no longer alive." Israeli media subsequently cited reports from senior officials indicating that Khamenei "has passed away." (Xinhua)

The European Union's Commissioner for Financial Services, Mairead McGuinness, stated on Tuesday that the EU hopes to begin implementing its capital markets integration package of reforms by 2027, providing guidance for the first time on the timeline for this reform. "We should push for discussions and approvals of this package as soon as possible; ideally, it would be very desirable to start implementation in 2027."Last week, the European Commission announced plans to grant its market regulator, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), greater supervisory and enforcement powers as part of a series of measures to integrate fragmented capital markets.The proposal still requires approval from the European Parliament and the EU Council, with some member states strongly opposing it. Centralizing regulatory power will bring important clearing houses, central securities depositories, and trading platforms under ESMA's jurisdiction, and cryptocurrency companies will also be subject to ESMA regulation. The EU has also committed to a comprehensive review of banking regulatory rules by the end of next year, and the European Central Bank will announce proposals for simplifying bank regulation on Thursday, which will be included in the EU Commission's overall reform efforts.

The European Commission plans to transfer regulatory authority over cryptocurrency companies to the EU's market regulatory body as part of a package of measures for the "comprehensive integration" of financial markets.The European Commission stated that incorporating cryptocurrency regulation into the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) will make regulation more effective and benefit cross-border activities. This move aims to address the fragmentation caused by differences in regulatory approaches among the 27 member states. Previously, individual national regulators, including France's AMF, Austria's FMA, and Italy's Consob, expressed concerns about the implementation of MiCA and called for ESMA to strengthen oversight. The proposal still needs to be negotiated and approved by the European Parliament and the European Council.

According to Cointelegraph, the European Commission has proposed to expand the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)'s regulatory powers over cryptocurrencies and financial markets, aiming to narrow the competitive gap with the United States.The proposal would transfer direct regulatory authority over key market infrastructures such as crypto asset service providers (CASPs), trading venues, and central counterparties to ESMA. The proposal still requires approval from the European Parliament and Council. If passed, ESMA's role in regulating EU capital markets will be more similar to the centralized framework of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Previously, France, Austria, and Italy have called for ESMA to take over the regulation of major cryptocurrency companies.

According to Bloomberg, the European Commission plans to empower the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to conduct unified regulation of all crypto asset service providers operating in the EU and to be responsible for licensing. The draft indicates that ESMA may delegate tasks to national regulatory authorities when necessary. These draft plans must also be approved by the European Parliament and the Council of Member States. Currently, crypto asset service providers only need to be approved in one member state to operate throughout the EU under the 2023 MiCA rules.

According to CoinDesk, less than a year after the implementation of the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), various issues have already begun to emerge, and regulators are working to prevent these problems from worsening. Currently, there are concerns that some member states are issuing licenses too quickly.The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) intends to adopt more centralized and stringent measures for cryptocurrency regulation within its jurisdiction, although specific details of the plans remain unclear. One potential change involves liquidity sharing outside the EU and the use of a unified order book. From a regulatory perspective, shared order books could blur the lines of responsibility for matching trades, information disclosure, risk management, and best execution; from a trader's perspective, aggregating buy and sell orders from a broader audience can create greater liquidity, facilitate easier transactions, and yield more accurate pricing.ESMA has not provided a specific response regarding the shared order book issue, but in an email, it stated that its position earlier this year during a Q&A session—where it was mentioned that "MiCA does not allow cryptocurrency trading companies to merge their order books with any non-EU, non-MiCA regulated trading platforms"—is aimed at ensuring a fair competitive environment in the application of MiCA within the EU, and it will continue to work towards this goal.

ChainCatcher news, according to Cointelegraph, French central bank governor François Villeroy de Galhau called at the ACPR-AMF Fintech Forum held in Paris for the EU to grant direct regulatory authority over crypto asset issuers to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to ensure consistent application of rules and reduce risks. He stated that reliance on national regulators could lead to uneven enforcement within the EU, while direct oversight by ESMA in Paris could prevent regulatory arbitrage.Villeroy de Galhau also expressed concerns about dollar-backed stablecoins, arguing that the MiCA framework allowing multiple issuances of stablecoins represents a regulatory weakness that could undermine the euro's position and increase dependence on non-European entities. Italian central bank deputy governor Chiara Scotti and the European Systemic Risk Board also voiced similar concerns regarding multiple issuance of stablecoins. The European Commission is currently developing plans to transfer regulatory authority over the financial sector, including cryptocurrencies, from national regulators to ESMA.

ChainCatcher news, according to market reports, the European Commission is brewing a comprehensive reform plan to grant the EU market regulatory authority—the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)—direct oversight of stock exchanges, cryptocurrency companies, and clearinghouses.ESMA Chair Verena Ross stated that this move aims to address the long-standing issue of fragmentation in the EU financial markets and to create a more integrated and globally competitive capital market. Currently, the regulatory authority over crypto asset service providers (CASPs) is mainly exercised by individual member states under the MiCA framework, but ESMA believes that this fragmented regulation is inefficient and undermines consumer protection. However, the proposal has faced opposition from smaller countries like Luxembourg and Malta, which warn that centralizing power could harm the local financial industry.

ChainCatcher news, according to market reports, the EU has set a year-end goal to take further measures by the end of the year to promote pension investments and simplify trading processes, striving to inject momentum into the revival of European capital markets.EU Financial Services Commissioner Mairead McGuinness announced the relevant plans on Thursday. She also stated that the European Commission is considering granting its highest market regulatory authority located in Paris—the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)—direct supervisory powers. She mentioned that with the transfer of regulatory powers to ESMA, the European Commission will consider the feasibility of implementing centralized supervision over certain market infrastructures such as central counterparties, central securities depositories, and trading venues. She added that emerging areas such as crypto asset service providers will also benefit from more centralized regulation, emphasizing that this move will not undermine the role of national regulatory authorities.

ChainCatcher news, according to Bloomberg, after discovering differences in the implementation of cryptocurrency regulations across countries, the financial regulators of France, Austria, and Italy urged the EU's top regulatory body to directly oversee large cryptocurrency companies and tighten relevant rules.The EU will implement the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) by the end of 2024, requiring cryptocurrency companies to obtain a license in at least one EU member state to operate across the entire EU. In a position paper released on Monday, the financial market regulators of the three countries stated that this approach exposes "significant differences" in the regulation of companies across countries, allowing businesses to exploit loopholes, and suggested transferring oversight of the industry's largest firms to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). They also noted that the initial implementation of MiCA has shown limited convergence in regulation, making it difficult to ensure uniform EU standards. An ESMA spokesperson responded that they are working to ensure regulatory consistency and had already suggested reconsidering areas for strengthening EU-level regulation last year. Additionally, the three regulators may take precautionary measures to mitigate risks and called for enhanced regulation of global platforms, cybersecurity, and token issuance.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the financial regulatory authority of the European 28-country trade alliance—the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)—has conducted a peer review of Malta's implementation under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework, with a particular focus on the fast-tracking authorization process for a certain unnamed crypto company.The ESMA Peer Review Committee (PRC) specifically examined the authorization status of the crypto asset service provider (CASP entity), and despite "significant issues remaining unresolved or requiring remediation" at the time of obtaining MiCA authorization, the entity was still approved for authorization.

ChainCatcher news, according to Jinshi Data reports, an Israeli military spokesperson stated that Iran has launched over 100 drones towards Israel in the past few hours. Meanwhile, the Israeli side has already deployed 200 fighter jets to participate in airstrike operations against Iran.

ChainCatcher news, according to Finance Magnates, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has released the "Final Guidelines on the Regulation of Market Abuse in Crypto Assets," which will be fully implemented within three months after its publication as part of the MiCA regulatory framework.The guidelines require the regulatory authorities of the 27 EU member states to establish a unified market monitoring system, focusing on preventing three types of violations: insider trading, illegal information disclosure, and market manipulation, with a particular emphasis on strengthening the regulation of false information dissemination on social media, blogs, and other online platforms.The document mandates that Professional Trading Firms (PPAETs) must deploy automated monitoring tools and establish a tiered processing mechanism for Suspicious Transaction Reports (STORs).For cross-border regulation, ESMA explicitly requires national regulatory authorities to share regulatory cases involving non-EU crypto firms and to regularly report to ESMA on cross-border cooperation obstacles. It is noteworthy that the guideline development process did not include a public consultation.ESMA explains that, since Article 125 of the MiCA regulation has already provided clear authorization, and the guidelines are aimed solely at regulatory authorities rather than market participants. National regulatory authorities must submit a compliance commitment letter to ESMA within two months, and if they choose partial exemptions, they must specify the details.

ChainCatcher news, according to FinanceFeeds, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has required cryptocurrency companies to comply with the EU's new stablecoin regulations by March 31.This regulation is part of the broader Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, which requires companies to limit or delist stablecoins that do not meet the standards.The stablecoin provisions of MiCA will take effect in mid-2024, but ESMA now wants businesses to complete the changes by the end of the first quarter. The regulator stated that before this deadline, companies can keep non-compliant stablecoins for sale, but cannot purchase them. It warned that delays could disrupt the market.

ChainCatcher news, according to Veronika Rinecker, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has ordered crypto asset service providers (CASP) to delist stablecoins that do not comply with the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). Although ESMA did not specify which non-compliant issuers or stablecoins should be restricted, this move follows the guidelines from the European Commission in July 2024, aimed at clarifying how MiCA applies to crypto assets involving non-compliant stablecoins.Prior to this, the European Banking Authority (EBA) had urged stakeholders to assess the MiCA compliance of the tokens they offer and to cease providing services related to non-compliant assets.It is reported that MiCA will come into effect on June 30, 2024, establishing a regulatory framework for the issuance and trading of asset-referenced tokens (ART) or stablecoins and electronic money tokens (EMT).

ChainCatcher news, German government spokesperson Christiane Hoffmann accused Musk of attempting to interfere in the upcoming national elections in Germany due to his support for the far-right party "Alternative for Germany" (AfD). Musk published an article in a German newspaper supporting the party, provoking a strong reaction from German officials.Musk stated that as a businessman operating in Germany, he has the right to express his support, but the authorities have classified the AfD as extremists.

ChainCatcher news, according to CoinDesk, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) released its final guidance on Tuesday to assist member states in implementing the upcoming regulations. ESMA published the final report on reverse solicitation, systems, the potential classification of cryptocurrencies as financial instruments, and technical standards for preventing market abuse.The EU's dedicated regulation for the cryptocurrency industry, the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, is set to come into effect on December 30 across 27 member states. However, some countries have yet to develop legislation to implement MiCA. The Bank of Portugal stated on Monday that, as the legislation has not yet been passed, it is currently unclear which national authority will be responsible for these rules. Industry associations noted that part of the delay in national authorities is due to the short time gap between ESMA's release of the final technical standards in October and the implementation date.ESMA Chair Verena Ross stated, "Looking ahead, as the transition period progresses, we will continue to provide guidance and work with all national competent authorities (NCAs) to ensure the smooth implementation of MiCA and support a level playing field through regulatory convergence actions."

ChainCatcher news, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) stated on Wednesday that cryptocurrency companies should be required to undergo external audits of their network defenses, and urged lawmakers in Brussels to amend the region's flagship regulatory framework for the crypto industry to better protect consumers.The agency believes that stricter cybersecurity rules are an important component of the EU's regulation of the crypto asset market (MiCA), which will come into full effect in December.ESMA has been advocating for the inclusion of a requirement for cryptocurrency companies to have their ability to withstand cyberattacks audited by a third party, as the agency works to finalize the implementation of these rules. These rules were passed by EU lawmakers last year.However, the European Commission opposed this move, stating that ESMA is overstepping its authority and going beyond the legislative mandate. Both sides declined to comment.