Title I: SUBJECT MATTER, SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS

Article 2

Scope

1.   This Regulation applies to natural and legal persons and certain other undertakings that are engaged in the issuance, offer to the public and admission to trading of crypto-assets or that provide services related to crypto-assets in the Union. 2.   This Regulation does not apply to: (a) persons who provide crypto-asset services exclusively for their parent companies, for their own subsidiaries or for other subsidiaries of their parent companies; (b) a liquidator or an administrator acting in the course of an insolvency procedure, except for the purposes of Article 47; (c) the ECB, central banks of the Member States when acting in their capacity as monetary authorities, or other public authorities of the Member States; (d) the European Investment Bank and its subsidiaries; (e) the European Financial Stability Facility and the European Stability Mechanism; (f) public international organisations. 3.   This Regulation does not apply to crypto-assets that are unique and not fungible with other crypto-assets. 4.   This Regulation does not apply to crypto-assets that qualify as one or more of the following: (a) financial instruments; (b) deposits, including structured deposits; (c) funds, except if they qualify as e-money tokens; (d) securitisation positions in the context of a securitisation as defined in Article 2, point (1), of Regulation (EU) 2017/2402; (e) non-life or life insurance products falling within the classes of insurance listed in Annexes I and II to Directive 2009/138/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council  or reinsurance and retrocession contracts referred to in that Directive; (f) pension products that, under national law, are recognised as having the primary purpose of providing the investor with an income in retirement and that entitle the investor to certain benefits; (g) officially recognised occupational pension schemes falling within the scope of Directive (EU) 2016/2341 of the European Parliament and of the Council  or Directive 2009/138/EC; (h) individual pension products for which a financial contribution from the employer is required by national law and where the employer or the employee has no choice as to the pension product or provider; (i) a pan-European Personal Pension Product as defined in Article 2, point (2), of Regulation (EU) 2019/1238 of the European Parliament and of the Council ; (j) social security schemes covered by Regulations (EC) No 883/2004  and (EC) No 987/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council . 5.   By 30 December 2024, ESMA shall, for the purposes of paragraph 4, point (a), of this Article issue guidelines in accordance with Article 16 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010 on the conditions and criteria for the qualification of crypto-assets as financial instruments. 6.   This Regulation shall be without prejudice to Regulation (EU) No 1024/2013.

Related Technical Standards & Guidelines

Guidelines

  • GuidelinesESMAIn force
    Crypto as Financial Instruments Guidelines

    Guidelines clarifying when a crypto-asset qualifies as a financial instrument under MiFID II.

  • GuidelinesJointIn force
    Crypto-Asset Qualification Test Guidelines

    Joint guidelines providing templates for explanations and opinions on whether crypto-assets qualify as financial instruments or other regulated instruments.

Related Recitals (Preamble)

Recitals provide interpretive context and policy rationale for the legislative provisions.

(3)
Existing financial instruments framework

Summary: Some crypto-assets, in particular those that qualify as financial instruments as defined in Directive 2014/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (4), fall within the scope of existing Union legislative acts on financial services.

(4)
Unregulated crypto-assets risks

Summary: Other crypto-assets, however, fall outside of the scope of Union legislative acts on financial services.

(9)
Technology neutrality principle

Summary: Union legislative acts on financial services should be guided by the principles of 'same activities, same risks, same rules' and of technology neutrality.

(10)
NFT exclusion from scope

Summary: This Regulation should not apply to crypto-assets that are unique and not fungible with other crypto-assets, including digital art and collectibles.

(11)
Fractional NFTs and fungibility

Summary: The fractional parts of a unique and non-fungible crypto-asset should not be considered unique and non-fungible.

(12)
Intragroup and public entity exclusions

Summary: It is appropriate to exclude certain intragroup transactions and some public entities from the scope of this Regulation as they do not pose risks to investor protection, market integrity, financial st...

(13)
Central bank digital currencies exclusion

Summary: Digital assets issued by central banks acting in their monetary authority capacity, including central bank money in digital form, or crypto-assets issued by other public authorities, including central...

(17)
Non-transferable digital assets exclusion

Summary: Digital assets that cannot be transferred to other holders do not fall within the definition of crypto-assets.

(22)
Decentralised services exclusion

Summary: This Regulation should apply to natural and legal persons and certain other undertakings and to the crypto-asset services and activities performed, provided or controlled, directly or indirectly, by t...