Crypto: Moldova Moves To Regulate Crypto Under Eu-style Mica Rules 2026
Moldova plans to introduce its first crypto law in 2026, aligning with the EU’s MiCA framework while warning citizens about digital asset risks.
Moldova plans to introduce its first comprehensive cryptocurrency legislation by the end of 2026, aligning its rules with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework, according to the country’s finance minister, Andrian Gavrilita.
Gavrilita said Wednesday in an interview on the state-owned TVR Moldova that the government is working with regulators to develop a legal framework that would allow citizens to hold and trade cryptocurrencies, while stopping short of recognizing digital assets as a means of payment.
“We have the responsibility to regulate them, and it will be the right of citizens to hold these currencies,” he said. “I’m not sure if we'll manage during the next month, but it’s our engagement with the European Union. You can’t prohibit [cryptocurrencies.]”
The announcement comes over a year after the full implementation of the EU’s MiCA framework, the first comprehensive regulatory framework for the crypto industry, which went into effect for crypto-asset service providers on Dec. 30, 2024.
The move would mark Moldova’s first formal crypto law. Its central bank has issued numerous warnings about the volatility and money laundering risks associated with digital assets.
Under the plan, the draft legislation will be developed jointly by the Finance Ministry, the National Bank of Moldova, the country’s financial markets regulator and its Anti-Money Laundering authority.
The legislation aims to legalize holding and transacting cryptocurrencies, but it won’t include provisions to legalize digital assets for payments within the country, Gavrilita said.
Related: EU mulls SEC-like oversight for stock, crypto exchanges to bolster startup landscape
Gavrilita highlighted the speculative nature of cryptocurrencies multiple times during the interview. “I avoid using the term investments when it comes to cryptocurrencies,” he said.
Source: CoinTelegraph
