At FMA Fintech Day 2025, the Austria Financial Market Authority (FMA) positioned regulation and supervisory clarity as central to responsible financial innovation, and pointed to its approach to implementing the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR). The FMA referenced its published guidance for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) active in Austria, setting expectations for a genuine local presence with real structures and staff (“boots on the ground”) rather than front companies, sound governance, and transparency and integrity standards spanning consumer protection, anti-money laundering and the prevention of market manipulation. The keynote also flagged uneven progress on MiCAR implementation across the European single market and highlighted a joint position paper issued with the French and Italian authorities calling for more harmonised application to support a level playing field. The programme covered MiCAR, crypto-assets, artificial intelligence, decentralised finance and tokenisation, with panels bringing together supervisors, market practitioners and academics.
Austria Financial Market Authority 2025-11-19
Austria Financial Market Authority sets MiCAR supervisory expectations for crypto-asset service providers and urges consistent EU implementation
At FMA Fintech Day 2025, the Austria Financial Market Authority emphasized regulation and supervisory clarity as key to responsible financial innovation, focusing on the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR). The FMA highlighted its guidance for crypto-asset service providers in Austria, stressing the need for genuine local presence and robust governance. It noted uneven MiCAR implementation across Europe and called for harmonized application in a joint paper with French and Italian authorities.