The penalty marks the EU’s inaugural public MiCA fine, targeting procedural breaches ahead of the rulebook’s full implementation.
Austria’s Financial Market Authority imposed a €70,000 ($82,000) fine on crypto exchange Bitpanda for violating the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). The penalty is the first publicly disclosed enforcement action under the new framework.
The breaches involved failing to submit a required white paper to regulators 20 working days before publication and circulating marketing materials prematurely. The FMA also cited missing disclaimers and contact details, though no fraud or investor losses were alleged.
The ruling arrives as MiCA’s transition period nears its end, with Brussels expected to review the rules in 2027 to strengthen oversight of foreign stablecoin issuers.