Malta publicly opposes the EU's centralized crypto regulation plan

CycleProphet · 2026-04-01T09:01:19+00:00

Malta publicly opposes transferring cryptocurrency regulatory authority to the European Securities and Markets Authority, fearing the loss of oversight over crypto businesses. This stance differs from the diplomatic approach of other EU member states and reflects its firm attitude on regulatory centralization issues.

CycleProphet

2026-04-01 09:01:19

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Deep Tide TechFlow message. On April 1, according to Bloomberg, the EU’s smallest member state, Malta, is publicly opposing a proposal to transfer crypto-asset regulatory authority to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), headquartered in Paris.

If the EU Council and the European Parliament advance the proposal—which backers expect could be pushed through as early as this summer—Malta would be forced to give up its direct regulatory authority over crypto firms such as Crypto.com and Gemini.

Malta has long attracted a large number of crypto companies to set up operations thanks to a lenient regulatory environment, and it is sometimes known as the “Blockchain Island.” The country is currently engaging in a public standoff with the EU over the issue of centralized regulation, and its stance is clearly different from the diplomatic mediation approach that EU member states typically use when they have disagreements on financial regulation.

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