EU Proposes Crypto Oversight Expansion and Pension Reforms Ahead of 2026

The European Union is advancing a year-end legislative package aimed at bolstering pension savings and tightening market oversight, with potential implications for crypto asset providers. Financial Services Commissioner Maria Luís Albuquerque outlined plans to introduce auto-enrolment pensions, tax incentives, and measures to integrate cross-border trading infrastructures during the Eurofi Forum in Copenhagen.

Key among the proposals is a potential shift in supervisory authority to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), which could extend to crypto asset service providers. "We see the benefit of more centralized supervision for new and rapidly evolving areas where supervisory capacities need to be up to the task," Albuquerque stated, signaling heightened regulatory scrutiny for the crypto sector.

The initiative, branded as the EU's Savings and Investments Union, seeks to mobilize household wealth while addressing concerns over stalled financial reforms. The MOVE comes amid ongoing debates about the digital euro's implementation and follows warnings about fragmentation in Europe's capital markets.