Crypto Regulation EU Gets Stronger Enforcement Powers

Brussels and Paris regulators are pushing for sharper teeth in the fight against crypto crime, and the message landed clearly on Wednesday, September 30, 2026: the current rulebook for crypto regulation EU-wide is too slow to stop bad actors from moving money before anyone can freeze it. The European Securities and Markets Authority, known as ESMA, said European regulators should be handed broader powers to enforce crypto rules, including the ability to order companies to freeze assets suspected of links to crime, according to Reuters reporting from Paris.

Key takeaways

• ESMA wants the power to order crypto firms to freeze assets when there are reasonable grounds to suspect links to financial crime, money laundering or terrorist financing.
• National regulators could be given authority to take down websites tied to scams or unauthorized crypto companies.
• ESMA says current freezing procedures are too slow, meaning suspicious assets often “disappear” before action is taken.
• The watchdog also wants a ban on misleading crypto marketing and new rules covering third-party promotion.
• The proposals were submitted as part of ESMA’s response to the European Commission’s consultation on reviewing the Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation, or MiCA.