Podcast: ESMA Report: Undue Pressure on Companies
On 25 June 2025, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) published its first comprehensive review of the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) Pilot Regime, a regulatory sandbox designed to test blockchain-based...more
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published a report, accompanied by a press release, on the functioning and review of the Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) pilot regime. The DLT pilot regime allows...more
The Bank of Italy and Consob, as competent authorities for Regulation (EU) 2022/858 on a pilot regime for market infrastructures based on DLT, declared compliance with the ESMA Guidelines on standard forms, formats and...more
31 March - SFTR: The European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA”) published an updated version of its Q&As (ESMA74-362-893) on complying with reporting requirements under the Regulation on reporting and transparency...more
Key developments in June 2022: 30 June - The Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) published a consultation paper (CP22/11) on winding down synthetic sterling LIBOR and USD LIBOR. The Bank of England (“BoE”)...more
UK CCPs: BoE discussion paper on supervisory stress test framework The Bank of England (BoE) has published a discussion paper on supervisory stress testing of UK central counterparties (CCPs) and announced its first public...more
On 12 July 2019 the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) reported on the status of FinTech firm licensing regimes across the EU, based on two ESMA surveys of EU national competent authorities (NCAs). ESMA's report...more
Partners Julia Smithers Excell and Stuart Willey, and associate Laura Kitchen of global law firm White & Case take a deep dive on the latest publications from EU and UK regulators aimed at providing supervisory clarity on the...more
The Situation: On January 9, 2019, the European Securities and Markets Authority ("ESMA") issued advice to the EU Commission, Council, and Parliament on initial coin offerings ("ICOs") and crypto assets. The Result: ESMA...more
With crypto-currencies on the rise and technological developments providing great opportunities in the financial services sector, Initial Coin Offerings ("ICO") provide an innovative way of raising capital. They are...more
U.S. Developments - Regulatory Updates - Texas Clarifies that Stablecoins Backed by Sovereign Currency Qualify as “Money” Under Money Transmission Statute - The Texas Department of Banking recently issued a Supervisory...more
U.S. Financial Industry Developments - FINRA Requests Comment on Financial Technology Innovation in the Broker-Dealer Industry - On July 30, 2018, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") published a...more
BREXIT - Please see the Prudential Regulation section for updates on: (i) the record of the FPC meeting held on 12 March; and (ii) HMT’s recently published letter on the EC’s proposed package of reforms in relation to BRRD...more
SEC Statement on Potentially Unlawful Online Platforms for Trading Digital Assets - On March 7, 2018, the Divisions of Enforcement and Trading and Markets of the Securities and Exchange Commission released a "Statement on...more
On 10 November 2017, the European Union (“EU”) General Court (“GC”) rendered a judgment partially annulling the European Commission’s (“Commission”) decision fining a broker for its involvement in the Libor Yen interest rate...more
Following our 7 November 2017 blog “Europe as a Hub for Initial Coin Offerings”, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published two statements on Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs). The statements underline...more
Key developments in April 2017: 3 April - The FCA published its Consultation Paper on persistent debt and earlier intervention remedies, “Reforming the availability of information in the UK equity IPO process”...more
The Committee on Payments and Market Infrastructures published a report on distributed ledger technology in payment, clearing and settlement. In the context of payment, clearing and settlement, DLT enables entities to carry...more
On February 7, 2017, the European Securities and Markets Authority (“ESMA“) published a report regarding distributed ledger technology (“DLT“). DLT is a developing technology that has the potential to significantly alter...more
The European Securities and Markets Authority published a Report on the application of Distributed Ledger Technology to the securities markets. Distributed ledgers, sometimes referred to as blockchains, are essentially...more
The European Securities and Markets Authority is soliciting public comment on its recently published discussion paper on the benefits and challenges of using Distributed Ledger Technology. The European Securities and...more
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published a Discussion Paper on “The Distributed Ledger Technology Applied to Securities Markets“....more