Regulatory news · European Union
ESMA publishes new Q&As on CASP payment accounts, crowdfunding fees and CCP exemptions
ESMA has published four new questions and answers covering crypto-asset service providers, crowdfunding platforms that charge access fees, and central counterparty exemptions and thresholds.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has published a set of new questions and answers, according to a notice issued by the EU securities markets regulator. The notice lists the topics covered by the new Q&As.
Crypto-asset service providers
One question and answer concerns crypto-asset service providers (CASPs). It addresses the use by CASPs of payment accounts provided by non-bank payment service providers for holding clients' funds. The item is numbered 2949 in the notice.
Crowdfunding access fees
A second question and answer covers European crowdfunding service providers for business. It concerns crowdfunding service providers that charge registration, membership, or other access fees, described in the notice as "investment club" crowdfunding platforms. The item is numbered 2950.
Central counterparties under EMIR
Three further questions and answers fall under the heading of OTC derivatives, central counterparties and trade repositories (EMIR) and concern CCPs. They cover the AAR 85% exemption, numbered 2936; AAR thresholds calculation, numbered 2937; and the AAR representativeness obligation, numbered 2938.
ESMA describes itself in the notice as the EU's securities markets regulator. The questions and answers were published in its Questions and Answers section.
Other topics listed
The notice also lists other items under a section headed "More on the same topic", including an ESMA call for evidence on the use of tokenised collateral in central clearing, dated 09/10/2026, and supervisory expectations on services related to unauthorised stablecoins, dated 08 Oct 2026. It further lists a call for changes to make MiCA clearer, safer and ready for emerging services, dated 30/09/2026, and a new supervisory priority on digital innovation from 2027, dated 23/09/2026.
The new Q&As notice is dated 16/10/2026 and is grouped under the headings CCP, Digital Finance and Innovation.
What this means: EU rules set the floor for anyone serving EU clients, so a change here usually changes the sequencing of an application rather than the destination. Consulting24 delivers CASP-track company and licensing work directly in Estonia and Lithuania, and the binding constraint is normally the regulator's queue rather than the incorporation.
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