Source: OJ L 150, 9.6.2023, pp. 40–205

Current language: EN

Article 6 Content and form of the crypto-asset white paper


    1. A crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper shall contain all of the following information, as further specified in Annex I:

      1. information about the offerormeans a natural or legal person, or other undertaking, or the issuer, who offers crypto-assets to the public; or the person seeking admission to trading;

      2. information about the issuermeans a natural or legal person, or other undertaking, who issues crypto-assets;, if different from the offerormeans a natural or legal person, or other undertaking, or the issuer, who offers crypto-assets to the public; or person seeking admission to trading;

      3. information about the operator of the trading platform in cases where it draws up the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper;

      4. information about the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; project;

      5. information about the offer to the publicmeans a communication to persons in any form, and by any means, presenting sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the crypto-assets to be offered so as to enable prospective holders to decide whether to purchase those crypto-assets; of the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; or its admission to trading;

      6. information about the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology;;

      7. information on the rights and obligations attached to the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology;;

      8. information on the underlying technology;

      9. information on the risks;

      10. information on the principal adverse impacts on the climate and other environment-related adverse impacts of the consensus mechanismmeans the rules and procedures by which an agreement is reached, among DLT network nodes, that a transaction is validated; used to issue the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology;.

    2. In cases where the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper is not drawn up by the persons referred to in the first subparagraph, points (a), (b) and (c), the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper shall also include the identity of the person that drew up the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper and the reason why that particular person drew it up.

    1. All of the information listed in paragraph 1 shall be fair, clear and not misleading. The crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper shall not contain material omissions and shall be presented in a concise and comprehensible form.

    1. The crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper shall contain the following clear and prominent statement on the first page:

      ‘This crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper has not been approved by any competent authoritymeans one or more authorities: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; in any Member State of the European Union. The offerormeans a natural or legal person, or other undertaking, or the issuer, who offers crypto-assets to the public; of the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; is solely responsible for the content of this crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper.’.

    2. Where the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper is drawn up by the person seeking admission to trading or by an operator of a trading platform, then, instead of ‘offerormeans a natural or legal person, or other undertaking, or the issuer, who offers crypto-assets to the public;’, a reference to ‘person seeking admission to trading’ or ‘operator of the trading platform’ shall be included in the statement referred to in the first subparagraph.

    1. The crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper shall not contain any assertions as regards the future value of the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology;, other than the statement referred to in paragraph 5.

    1. The crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper shall contain a clear and unambiguous statement that:

      1. the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; may lose its value in part or in full;

      2. the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; may not always be transferable;

      3. the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; may not be liquid;

      4. where the offer to the publicmeans a communication to persons in any form, and by any means, presenting sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the crypto-assets to be offered so as to enable prospective holders to decide whether to purchase those crypto-assets; concerns a utility tokenmeans a type of crypto-asset that is only intended to provide access to a good or a service supplied by its issuer;, that utility tokenmeans a type of crypto-asset that is only intended to provide access to a good or a service supplied by its issuer; may not be exchangeable against the good or service promised in the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper, especially in the case of a failure or discontinuation of the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; project;

      5. the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; is not covered by the investor compensation schemes under Directive 97/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council(35)Directive 97/9/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 March 1997 on investor-compensation schemes (OJ L 84, 26.3.1997, p. 22).;

      6. the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; is not covered by the depositmeans a deposit as defined in Article 2(1), point (3), of Directive 2014/49/EU; guarantee schemes under Directive 2014/49/EU.

    1. The crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper shall contain a statement from the management bodymeans the body or bodies of an issuer, offeror or person seeking admission to trading, or of a crypto-asset service provider, which are appointed in accordance with national law, which are empowered to set the entity’s strategy, objectives and overall direction, and which oversee and monitor management decision-making in the entity and include the persons who effectively direct the business of the entity; of the offerormeans a natural or legal person, or other undertaking, or the issuer, who offers crypto-assets to the public;, the person seeking admission to trading or the operator of the trading platform. That statement, which shall be inserted after the statement referred to in paragraph 3, shall confirm that the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper complies with this Title and that, to the best of the knowledge of the management bodymeans the body or bodies of an issuer, offeror or person seeking admission to trading, or of a crypto-asset service provider, which are appointed in accordance with national law, which are empowered to set the entity’s strategy, objectives and overall direction, and which oversee and monitor management decision-making in the entity and include the persons who effectively direct the business of the entity;, the information presented in the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper is fair, clear and not misleading and the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper makes no omission likely to affect its import.

    1. The crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper shall contain a summary, inserted after the statement referred to in paragraph 6, which shall in brief and non-technical language provide key information about the offer to the publicmeans a communication to persons in any form, and by any means, presenting sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the crypto-assets to be offered so as to enable prospective holders to decide whether to purchase those crypto-assets; of the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; or the intended admission to trading. The summary shall be easily understandable and presented and laid out in a clear and comprehensive format, using characters of readable size. The summary of the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper shall provide appropriate information about the characteristics of the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; concerned in order to help prospective holders of the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; to make an informed decision.

    2. The summary shall contain a warning that:

      1. it should be read as an introduction to the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper;

      2. the prospective holder should base any decision to purchase the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; on the content of the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper as a whole and not on the summary alone;

      3. the offer to the publicmeans a communication to persons in any form, and by any means, presenting sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the crypto-assets to be offered so as to enable prospective holders to decide whether to purchase those crypto-assets; of the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; does not constitute an offer or solicitation to purchase financial instrumentsmeans financial instruments as defined in Article 4(1), point (15), of Directive 2014/65/EU; and that any such offer or solicitation can be made only by means of a prospectus or other offer documents pursuant to the applicable national law;

      4. the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper does not constitute a prospectus as referred to in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council(36)Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 June 2017 on the prospectus to be published when securities are offered to the public or admitted to trading on a regulated market, and repealing Directive 2003/71/EC (OJ L 168, 30.6.2017, p. 12). or any other offer document pursuant to Union or national law.

    1. The crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper shall contain the date of its notification and a table of contents.

    1. The crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper shall be drawn up in an official language of the home Member Statemeans:where the offeror or person seeking admission to trading of crypto-assets other than asset-referenced tokens or e-money tokens has its registered office in the Union, the Member State where that offeror or person has its registered office;where the offeror or person seeking admission to trading of crypto-assets other than asset-referenced tokens or e-money tokens has no registered office in the Union but does have one or more branches in the Union, the Member State chosen by that offeror or person from among the Member States where it has branches;where the offeror or person seeking admission to trading of crypto-assets other than asset-referenced tokens or e-money tokens is established in a third country and has no branch in the Union, either the Member State where the crypto-assets are intended to be offered to the public for the first time or, at the choice of the offeror or person seeking admission to trading, the Member State where the first application for admission to trading of those crypto-assets is made;in the case of an issuer of asset-referenced tokens, the Member State where the issuer of asset-referenced tokens has its registered office;in the case of an issuer of e-money tokens, the Member State where the issuer of e-money tokens is authorised as a credit institution under Directive 2013/36/EU or as an electronic money institution under Directive 2009/110/EC;in the case of crypto-asset service providers, the Member State where the crypto-asset service provider has its registered office;, or in a language customary in the sphere of international finance.

    2. Where the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; is also offered in a Member State other than the home Member Statemeans:where the offeror or person seeking admission to trading of crypto-assets other than asset-referenced tokens or e-money tokens has its registered office in the Union, the Member State where that offeror or person has its registered office;where the offeror or person seeking admission to trading of crypto-assets other than asset-referenced tokens or e-money tokens has no registered office in the Union but does have one or more branches in the Union, the Member State chosen by that offeror or person from among the Member States where it has branches;where the offeror or person seeking admission to trading of crypto-assets other than asset-referenced tokens or e-money tokens is established in a third country and has no branch in the Union, either the Member State where the crypto-assets are intended to be offered to the public for the first time or, at the choice of the offeror or person seeking admission to trading, the Member State where the first application for admission to trading of those crypto-assets is made;in the case of an issuer of asset-referenced tokens, the Member State where the issuer of asset-referenced tokens has its registered office;in the case of an issuer of e-money tokens, the Member State where the issuer of e-money tokens is authorised as a credit institution under Directive 2013/36/EU or as an electronic money institution under Directive 2009/110/EC;in the case of crypto-asset service providers, the Member State where the crypto-asset service provider has its registered office;, the crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper shall also be drawn up in an official language of the host Member Statemeans the Member State where an offeror or person seeking admission to trading has made an offer to the public of crypto-assets or is seeking admission to trading, or where a crypto-asset service provider provides crypto-asset services, where different from the home Member State;, or in a language customary in the sphere of international finance.

    1. The crypto-assetmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology; white paper shall be made available in a machine-readable format.

    1. ESMA, in cooperation with EBA, shall develop draft implementing technical standards to establish standard forms, formats and templates for the purposes of paragraph 10.

    2. ESMA shall submit the draft implementing technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph to the Commission by 30 June 2024.

    3. Power is conferred on the Commission to adopt the implementing technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.

    1. ESMA, in cooperation with EBA, shall develop draft regulatory technical standards on the content, methodologies and presentation of the information referred to in paragraph 1, first subparagraph, point (j), in respect of the sustainability indicators in relation to adverse impacts on the climate and other environment‐related adverse impacts.

    2. When developing the draft regulatory technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph, ESMA shall consider the various types of consensus mechanismsmeans the rules and procedures by which an agreement is reached, among DLT network nodes, that a transaction is validated; used to validate transactions in crypto-assetsmeans a digital representation of a value or of a right that is able to be transferred and stored electronically using distributed ledger technology or similar technology;, their incentive structures and the use of energy, renewable energy and natural resources, the production of waste and greenhouse gas emissions. ESMA shall update those regulatory technical standards in the light of regulatory and technological developments.

    3. ESMA shall submit the draft regulatory technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph to the Commission by 30 June 2024.

    4. Power is delegated to the Commission to supplement this Regulation by adopting the regulatory technical standards referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph in accordance with Articles 10 to 14 of Regulation (EU) No 1095/2010.

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