EU lawmakers urge assessing DeFi, staking, NFT regulation

The European Parliament's economic affairs committee has urged the European Commission to assess whether crypto lending and borrowing, staking, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and decentralized finance (DeFi) should be regulated.

The recommendations were part of a report tabled Friday for plenary vote. It also called for promoting tokenization across financial services, encouraging euro-denominated stablecoins and assessing whether additional crypto activities should be regulated under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).

Drafted by Belgian Member of the European Parliament Johan Van Overtveldt, the report is an own-initiative resolution by the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (ECON) that outlines recommendations for the Commission on digital asset regulation. 

It will next go before the European Parliament for a vote, expected July 7. If adopted, the resolution would become Parliament's official position on digital assets policy but would not amend MiCA or create new legal obligations.

The legislative timeline shows the committee's approval of the report and its referral for a plenary vote. Source: European Parliament

Related: European Parliament throws support behind digital euro

EU warms up to regulated stablecoins

The recommendations also reflect an evolving view of stablecoins among policymakers. Days after former Bank for International Settlements general manager and longtime crypto critic Agustín Carstens softened his stance on stablecoins, the report welcomed euro-denominated stablecoins under MiCA and encouraged their development to support the bloc's payment sector.

In 2023, Van Overtveldt called for tighter restrictions on cryptocurrencies following the banking turmoil surrounding Silicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank and Silvergate Bank. The crisis was also closely tied to stablecoins, as USDC issuer Circle held roughly $3.3 billion of its reserves at Silicon Valley Bank when it collapsed, briefly causing USDC to lose its dollar peg.

Van Overtveldt likened cryptocurrencies to drugs during the 2023 banking crisis. Source:Johan Van Overtveldt

The report argued that euro-denominated stablecoins could complement tokenized commercial bank deposits and wholesale central bank digital currencies while enabling faster and cheaper cross-border payments. It also said broader adoption could strengthen the competitiveness of EU financial markets and the international role of the euro.

The stance also aligns with ECON’s broader vision for Europe’s digital money ecosystem. On Tuesday, the committee backed legislation for a digital euro, with lawmakers arguing that public and private forms of digital money should coexist rather than compete.

Related: Poland president vetoes MiCA bill again as crypto companies look to license abroad

Lawmakers look beyond MiCA's current scope 

Van Overtveldt first presented a draft of the report in February before months of negotiations and amendments by ECON members. The earlier version largely focused on MiCA's existing framework, including stablecoin classifications and legal certainty for multi-issued stablecoins.

The committee-approved report urged consistent application of MiCA across the EU to preserve a level playing field for crypto firms. It also warned member states against introducing national requirements beyond MiCA that could fragment the bloc's digital asset industry.

The Commission is already reviewing MiCA. In May, the Commission launched a public consultation seeking feedback on whether the framework should be expanded to cover areas including DeFi, staking, lending, NFTs and tokenized financial assets, while also reopening debate over the regulation's ban on interest-bearing stablecoins.

Meanwhile, MiCA's transitional period ends July 1, after which crypto asset service providers generally must hold authorization under the regulation to continue operating across the EU.

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