The speed and volume of change in the crypto asset markets has accelerated across the globe, with established financial institutions increasingly entering the sector whilst regulators look to keep pace. Recent high-profile developments and market volatility have led to growing calls for scrutiny and regulatory controls. Navigating this fast paced environment, within a sometimes disjointed regulatory framework, can be challenging.
This virtual seminar series will provide insights on how the regulatory landscape is changing and discuss the future of crypto within the financial services sector. Set out below are details of our 2022 series.

The Spanish Council of Ministers has passed a preliminary bill that is expected to include additional rules on customer services.

As a consequence of Spain’s late implementation of the 5 AML Directive, the Registry of Crypto Exchanges and Custodian Wallet Providers at the Bank of Spain has only been recently activated. Since the end of October 2021, the procedure together with the necessary forms are now available at the Bank of Spain’s website to apply for registration as Exchange Providers of Virtual Currency into Fiat and Electronic Wallets Service Custodians, as provided for in the Spanish Act 10/2010, dated 28 April, on anti-money laundering and terrorism financing.

The new proposed regulation (“Circular”) is aimed at developing the rules, principles and criteria to which crypto-asset advertising will be subject. The Circular defines the type of entities and assets included in its scope and the powers granted to the Spanish financial regulator, the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), so it can supervise and control the adverting of certain types of crypto assets that have been deemed unregulated products thus far. The deadline for interested parties to reply to the public consultation is 31 August 2021.

In a recent article for Practical Law, Paula de Biase provides an overview of the national measures that have been taken in Spain relating to Regulation (EU) 2019/2088 on sustainability-related disclosures in the financial services sector (SFDR).

The recent publication of Circular 2/2020, of the National Securities Market Commission (“CNMV”) on the advertising of investment products and services (“Circular 2/2020”) on November 13, 2020 includes new  rules in terms of advertising of investment products, adding clarifications that go beyond the MiFID package. These new rules affect not only Spanish entities but also foreign financial institutions providing services in Spain under freedom to provide services or right of establishment, including branches and agents.