Fira de Barcelona will host the European Blockchain Convention (EBC) to be held on 25 and 26 October with the collaboration and sponsorship of Bitvavo.

Once again, Barcelona will become the European capital of blockchain for two days. With an expected participation of more than 5,000 delegates and 300 speakers, it will be the most important blockchain event in Europe this year and the largest European Blockchain Convention since its first edition in 2018.

Founders, CEOs and industry experts, as well as speakers from other companies such as Banco Santander, BBVA and Volkswagen, will participate in a diverse agenda that will address various topics like decentralised finance, CBDCs, artificial intelligence, security and the regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies.

Bitvavo, the main cryptocurrency exchange platform in the Netherlands and one of the leading in Europe is sponsoring the event, bringing together several partners and boosting the profile of the convention. The Dutch exchange will be one of many prominent industry players offering their support to such an important and highly anticipated event.

The regulation of the cryptocurrency sector took centre stage at the latest European Blockchain Convention in Barcelona. This year’s edition comes shortly after the European Parliament took an important step towards regulating the cryptocurrency market with the approval of the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) Regulation last April.

Bitvavo supports stricter regulation

Bitvavo is making the necessary steps to align itself with the financial regulatory framework for MiCA, approved by the European Union that came into force in June this year. The adaptation to the new regulatory measures has to be effective within 12 to 18 months, depending on the mandate to implement the application of the new regulations.

The new law will cover crypto-assets that are currently not regulated by existing financial services legislation, extending information on the associated risks to consumers. Specifically, it will focus on stablecoins and crypto exchange platforms that provide the infrastructure, which can expect additional requirements to further protect investors. In this regard, there will be minimum capital requirements, customer assets will have to be kept separate from the ownership of the exchange, and custody policies for digital currencies will be implemented.

For its part, Bitvavo supports this extension of crypto-asset regulation and welcomes the EU taking the global lead in introducing cryptocurrency-friendly regulations to protect users, ensure a level playing field and give more confidence in the sector. In this context, the European Banking Authority (EBA) will propose additional rules next year, to which Bitvavo will proactively contribute to ensure the legislation is balanced and adequate.

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