ECB backs ESMA as single supervisor for big EU crypto firms

ECB backs shifting supervision of systemic crypto firms and venues from national regulators to esma as part of a wider eu capital markets integration push.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has endorsed an EU plan to shift supervision of systemically important crypto asset service providers, major trading venues, and central counterparties away from national regulators and into the hands of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). In an opinion backing the European Commission’s “market integration and supervision” package, the ECB said centralizing oversight would “ensure consistent, high‑quality supervision of cross‑border market players” and reduce the risk of regulatory blind spots across the bloc.

The legislative proposal is now with EU governments and the European Parliament, with negotiations expected to last several months before any law is finalized.

According to a report from Reuters, the ECB argued that large crypto service providers and trading venues can be “systemically relevant” for the EU’s financial system, warranting supervision at the European rather than national level. “Direct supervision by ESMA of certain market players is warranted to address risks stemming from their cross‑border activities,” the central bank said, calling the current patchwork of national oversight “insufficient” for integrated markets. The plan would give ESMA a lead role on top of its existing responsibilities under the EU’s Markets in Crypto‑Assets (MiCA) framework, which already tasks the Paris‑based watchdog with drafting technical standards and coordinating supervision.

Brussels has framed the overhaul as part of its long‑running Capital Markets Union agenda, which aims to deepen and harmonize financial markets across the EU. The European Commission’s package, presented in February, would expand ESMA’s direct oversight not just of systemic crypto platforms but also of key clearing houses and trading venues in traditional markets. “A more integrated capital market requires more integrated supervision,” the Commission said when unveiling the reforms.

The ECB also warned that ESMA must be properly equipped for its expanded crypto mandate, stressing that the authority should receive “adequate staffing and financial resources” to avoid stretching its existing teams. ESMA has previously cautioned that some crypto firms were giving “misleading impressions” about their regulatory status under MiCA, and urged national watchdogs to step up enforcement. Under the new proposal, firms deemed systemically important could face a single, tougher supervisor in Paris rather than navigating 27 different regimes, a shift that may raise compliance costs but also clarify expectations for large exchanges and custodians operating across the bloc.