From 30 December 2024, the European MiCA Regulation will require market participants wishing to offer crypto-asset services in the European Union to obtain prior authorisation.

The following 10 services are covered by this obligation:

• providing custody and administration of cryptoassets on behalf of clients;
• operating a cryptoasset trading platform for cryptoassets;
• exchanging cryptoassets for funds;
• exchanging cryptoassets for other cryptoassets;
• executing cryptoasset orders on behalf of clients;
• placing of cryptoassets;
• receiving and transmitting orders for cryptoassets on behalf of clients;
• providing advice on cryptoassets;
• providing portfolio management on cryptoassets;
• providing transfer services for cryptoassets on behalf of clients.

Bank of France (representing the Eurosystem), Bank of Japan, Bank of Korea, Bank of Mexico, Swiss National Bank, Bank of England and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York will seek to work in partnership with a large group of private financial firms convened by the Institute of International Finance (IIF). 

Project Agorá builds on the unified ledger concept proposed by the BIS and will investigate how tokenised commercial bank deposits can be "seamlessly integrated with tokenised wholesale central bank money in a public-private programmable core financial platform."

According to BIS, this could "enhance the functioning of the monetary system and provide new solutions using smart contracts and programmability, while maintaining its two-tier structure." 

The BIS will issue a call for expressions of interest to private financial institutions to join Project Agorá. 

“Today’s announcement of co‑ordinated international action on cryptoassets is a major step forward, marking another important milestone towards the widespread and co-ordinated approach to combat tax evasion through greater transparency and exchange of information,” Secretary-General Cormann said.

“We strongly welcome the extensive support being shown for quick action to make the international exchange of information collected under the OECD standard on cryptoasset reporting a reality. The international community can count on the OECD and the Global Forum on Transparency and Exchange of Information for Tax Purposes to ensure that the tax transparency architecture remains both up-to-date and effective going forward.”

The Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF) is a key component of the International Standards for Automatic Exchange of Information in Tax Matters developed by the OECD under a G20 mandate. It provides for the automatic exchange of tax-relevant information on cryptoassets and comes against the backdrop of a rapid adoption of the use of cryptoassets for a wide range of investment and financial uses.