Regulatory Blog

On 26 June 2024, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission issued Circular 648 informing regulated entities about the notification procedure under Article 60 of Regulation 1114/2023 on markets in crypto-assets.

On 14 May 2024, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission published Circular 642, on the electronic submission of information for the year 2023 under the Risk Based Supervision Framework.

In a key development towards supporting financial transparency, the European Commission, on 12 April 2024, issued a set of FAQs explaining reporting obligations under Article 5r of EU Council Regulation 833/2014, ie the EU’s set of trade sanctions on Russia. This anticipated EU guidance has been met with significant attention, particularly from entities navigating the details of compliance amidst heightened regulatory scrutiny.

At present, Cyprus-based crypto exchanges that wish to provide services both in relation to spot crypto products and financial instruments such as crypto derivatives are subject to dual-licensing under the local AML legislation and the traditional investment services regime implementing EU Directive 2014/65/EU. The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission administers both regimes.

On 4 April 2024, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) published Circular C628 informing all entities under its supervision of the following:

With the rules in EU Regulation 1114/2023 on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA) becoming applicable by the end of 2024, staying compliant is crucial for businesses operating within the European Union/the European Economic Area (EEA). To assist crypto-industry participants in understanding their regulatory obligations under MiCA, Harneys proudly presents its new MiCA Assessment Tool.

On 28 November 2023, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission published circular 605 informing regulated entities about the European Banking Authority's public consultation on new money laundering and terrorist financing guidelines for preventing the abuse of funds and certain crypto-assets transfers.

On 3 November 2023, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) issued Directive R.A.D 343/2023 (the CASP Amending Directive) which was published in the Cyprus Official Gazette. Through the CASP Amending Directive, CySEC amends its existing Directive on the Prevention and Combating of Money Laundering from Illegal Activities (Registry of Service Providers of Crypto Asset Service Providers) 2021 in a number of important respects.

On 13 October 2023, the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) published Circular 604 directing Cyprus Investment Firms (CIFs) to familiarise themselves with the European Banking Authority's guidelines on outsourcing, published on 2 February 2019 (Guidelines).