Investment firms in the European Union that offer crypto alongside more traditional products could be misleading their consumers into a false sense of security, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) said in a Thursday statement.
The EU agency said it’s worried that firms may use a seal of regulatory approval they have to offer traditional finance (TradFi) stocks or funds to make customers believe they’ll have access to sound financial advice or compensation schemes in the event of crypto mishaps.
EU rules known as the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID) ensure investment intermediaries promote only appropriate financial products to clients – but don’t always apply to more exotic investment opportunities like gold, real estate or non-transferable loans.
The EU’s Markets in Crypto Assets regulation (MiCA) is set
Keep reading this article on Coinbase.com.