EU ESMA Expansion Proposal May Slow Crypto and Fintech Licensing

The European Commission's proposal to expand ESMA's powers into a "European SEC" raises concerns over slower crypto licensing and fintech growth in the EU, potentially centralizing oversight and delaying approvals for innovative firms. ESMA's expanded role could unify EU crypto supervision but risks bureaucratic delays. The shift centralizes licensing for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) under [...]