ESMA Proposes Expanding MiCA to Cover DeFi Gateways, Staking and Crypto Lending - bloomingbit

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has proposed broadening the scope of the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation to address areas not fully covered in its original framework. According to bloomingbit, the proposal targets DeFi gateways—interfaces that connect users to decentralized protocols—alongside staking services and crypto lending activities. These segments have largely operated outside MiCA's perimeter since the rules took effect.

The move reflects a regulatory shift toward treating certain DeFi access points and yield-generating services more like traditional financial intermediation. If adopted, entities providing these services within the EU could face registration, disclosure, and conduct obligations similar to those already applied to centralized crypto-asset service providers.

For market participants, the key question is how broadly "gateway" and "staking" will be defined, since definitions determine which platforms fall in scope. Also worth watching: the timeline for any formal legislative proposal and whether other jurisdictions follow suit. The direction of travel suggests EU regulators view DeFi-adjacent services as an emerging gap in the current rulebook rather than a permanently exempt space.