Bitpanda fined €70,000 by Austria's FMA, marking the first publicly disclosed MiCA penalty in Europe

Odaily News: Cryptocurrency platform Bitpanda has been fined €70,000 by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA), making it the first publicly disclosed enforcement action under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). The ruling is now legally binding.

The FMA stated that Bitpanda failed to submit its crypto asset white paper to the regulator at least 20 working days before publication, and published marketing communications prior to the white paper's release. Another marketing communication also lacked a disclaimer stating that it had not been reviewed or approved by the regulator, as well as telephone and email contact information. The violations relate to procedural and disclosure requirements, and do not involve allegations of fraud or investor losses.

The MiCA rules for crypto asset service providers took full effect at the end of 2024, and the transition period for existing firms is gradually coming to an end. Bitpanda holds a MiCA license and is expanding across Europe. The EU is expected to revisit the framework in 2027 and tighten oversight of non-EU stablecoin issuers. (Decrypt)