Fintech

EU mandates reserves for tether, USD coin in bid to tame crypto ‘Wild West’

Regulations will see transfers of cryptoassets subjected to the same money laundering rules as normal bank transfers

MiCA rules will attempt to sure up the crypto sector with new capital requirements
MiCA rules will attempt to sure up the crypto sector with new capital requirements Photo: Getty Images

A landmark agreement for Europe to regulate cryptocurrency markets across the continent is set to bring stablecoins such as tether and USD coin into a stricter regime to make sure they can meet redemption requests during mass withdrawals.

The regulations agreed by lawmakers on 30 June, known as Markets in Crypto Assets — or MiCA — would usher in new capital reserve levels for crypto providers. They would also see stablecoins limited to €200m in transactions a day, should they become too large.

WSJ Logo