Fintech News from Ireland and around the World

Central Bank of Ireland Safeguarding Notice, 25 May 2023

31/5/2023

Safeguarding Notice 25 May 2023
The purpose of this communication is to further clarify the nature of the specific audit of compliance with the safeguarding requirements under the Payment Services Regulations (PSR)/ Electronic Money Regulations (EMR), as communicated in the Central Bank’s letter dated 20 January 2023, addressed to all payment and electronic money institutions authorised in Ireland.

Following discussions with Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI), an acceptable format for these engagements has been agreed, as detailed below. CAI will issue guidance to their members on performing these engagements in due course.

Click here for the (1) 25 May 2023 Safeguarding Notice; and (2) 20 January 2023 CBI Dear CEO Letter.

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Eouncil adopts new rules on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA)

16/5/2023

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16 May 2023 Brussels: The EU brings crypto-assets, crypto-assets issuers and crypto-asset service providers under a regulatory framework. Setting an EU level legal framework for this sector for the first time, the Council today adopted a regulation on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA).

I am very pleased that today we are delivering on our promise to start regulating the crypto-assets sector. Recent events have confirmed the urgent need for imposing rules which will better protect Europeans who have invested in these assets, and prevent the misuse of crypto industry for the purposes of money laundering and financing of terrorism.
Elisabeth Svantesson, Minister for Finance of Sweden

MiCA will protect investors by increasing transparency and putting in place a comprehensive framework for issuers and service providers including compliance with the anti-money laundering rules. The new rules cover issuers of utility tokens, asset referenced tokens and so-called ‘stablecoins’. It also covers service providers such as trading venues and the wallets where crypto-assets are held. This regulatory framework aims to protect investors, preserve financial stability, while allowing innovation and fostering the attractiveness of the crypto-asset sector.

It also introduces a harmonized regulatory framework in the European Union which, given the global nature of crypto markets, is an improvement compared to the current situation with national legislation in some member states only.

Background

The European Commission presented the MiCA proposal on 24 September 2020. It is part of the larger digital finance package, which aims to develop a European approach that fosters technological development and ensures financial stability and consumer protection. In addition to the MiCA proposal, the package contains a digital finance strategy, a Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), that covers crypto-asset service providers as well, and a proposal on distributed ledger technology (DLT) pilot regime for wholesale uses.

This package bridges a gap in existing EU legislation by ensuring that the current legal framework does not pose obstacles to the use of new digital financial instruments and, at the same time, ensures that such new technologies and products fall within the scope of financial regulation and operational risk management arrangements of firms active in the EU. Thus, the package aims to support innovation and the uptake of new financial technologies while providing for an appropriate level of consumer and investor protection.
The Council adopted its negotiating mandate on MiCA on 24 November 2021. Trilogues between the co-legislators started on 31 March 2022 and ended in a provisional agreement reached on 30 June 2022. Today’s formal adoption of the regulation is the final step in the legislative process.

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Central Bank of Ireland Safeguarding Notice, 25 May 2023

Eouncil adopts new rules on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA)

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