Source: OJ L 150, 9.6.2023, pp. 40–205Current language: EN
- Markets in crypto-assets
Basic legislative acts
- MiCA regulation
Article 23 Restrictions on the issuance of asset-referenced tokens used widely as a means of exchange
Where, for an asset-referenced token, the estimated quarterly average number and average aggregate value of transactions per day associated to its uses as a means of exchange within a single currency area is higher than 1 million transactions and EUR 200 000 000, respectively, the issuer shall:
stop issuing that asset-referenced token; and
within 40 working days of reaching that threshold, submit a plan to the competent authority to ensure that the estimated quarterly average number and average aggregate value of those transactions per day is kept below 1 million transactions and EUR 200 000 000 respectively.
The competent authority shall use the information provided by the issuer, its own estimates, or the estimates provided by the ECB or, where applicable, by the central bank referred to in Article 20(4), whichever is higher, in order to assess whether the threshold referred to in paragraph 1 is reached.
Where several issuers issue the same asset-referenced token, the criteria referred in paragraph 1 shall be assessed by the competent authority after aggregating the data from all issuers.
The issuer shall submit the plan referred to in paragraph 1, point (b), for approval to the competent authority. Where necessary, the competent authority shall require modifications, such as imposing a minimum denomination amount, in order to ensure a timely decrease of the use as a means of exchange of the asset-referenced token.
The competent authority shall only allow the issuer to issue the asset-referenced token again when it has evidence that the estimated quarterly average number and average aggregated value of transactions per day associated to its uses as a means of exchange within a single currency area is lower than 1 million transactions and EUR 200 000 000 respectively.
Relevant recitals
Recital 61 Measuring use as means of exchange
It is particularly important to estimate transactions settled with asset-referenced tokens associated to uses as a means of exchange within a single currency area, namely, those associated to payments of debts including in the context of transactions with merchants. Those transactions should not include transactions associated with investment functions and services, such as a means of exchange for funds or other crypto-assets, unless there is evidence that the asset-referenced token is used for settlement of transactions in other crypto-assets. A use for settlement of transactions in other crypto-assets would be present in cases where a transaction involving two legs of crypto-assets, which are different from the asset-referenced tokens, is settled in the asset-referenced tokens. Moreover, where asset-referenced tokens are used widely as a means of exchange within a single currency area, issuers should be required to reduce the level of activity. An asset-referenced token should be considered to be used widely as a means of exchange when the average number and average aggregate value of transactions per day associated to uses as a means of exchange within a single currency area is higher than 1 million transactions and EUR 200 000 000 respectively.
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- designated by each Member State in accordance with Article 93 concerning offerors, persons seeking admission to trading of crypto-assets other than asset-referenced tokens and e-money tokens, issuers of asset-referenced tokens, or crypto-asset service providers;
- designated by each Member State for the application of Directive 2009/110/EC concerning issuers of e-money tokens;