A Year of regulatory changes in Europe

The regulatory landscape in the European Union (EU) was highly fragmented, with individual member states taking different approaches to the supervision of crypto assets. This created legal uncertainty, increased compliance costs for businesses, and hindered international expansion.

As of December 30, 2024, the MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) regulation is fully implemented. Despite this being a European Union regulation, it will clearly have an impact on any crypto business operating or having clients in the EU, including those based in Switzerland, namely in Zug, commonly known as the Crypto Valley.

Web3 Corporations, Startups, and Foundations had the chance to make regulatory changes to their operations from June 2023, when the regulation entered into force. In 2025, we will witness a shift towards a more compliant crypto world, with providers taking the legislation into account in order to gain market credibility and grow their businesses.

MiCA aims to solve three major issues: regulatory fragmentation, consumer protection and financial stability, and encouraging innovation with accountability.

How this regulation will affect Swiss companies

Switzerland has its own crypto regulation, established by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), which will continue to be in place. FINMA is the ultimate regulatory body in the country responsible for overseeing the financial markets and ensuring their integrity, stability, and transparency. Some of the key aspects of this organism are attributing licenses, promoting anti-money laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC) policies, and implementing the Combating the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) standards. 

From here on forward, Swiss businesses operating in the EU must take into account:

1. Double regulation compliance

‍Keeping track of FINMA regulations is key for Swiss-based operations. Being a crypto-friendly country doesn’t mean Web3 providers don’t have to follow rules and regulations. FINMA helps to provide clarity and legal certainty for crypto businesses in Switzerland. However, in order to operate in the EU, companies will have to follow the specific rules now provided by MiCA.

2. Cybersecurity requirements

‍MiCA includes compliance with minimum standards to increase the technical resilience of crypto firms. Swiss companies providing fintech-related services to the EU market will need to upgrade their security infrastructure and implement robust risk management systems.‍

3. Licensing and transparency

‍Businesses must now report their activities in a much more transparent manner. Crypto-asset Service Providers (CASPs) must obtain an EU license to operate in this geography, while cross-border services within the EU are now required to obtain specific authorization from each national authority appointed by each country (e.g., BaFin in Germany, AMF in France). Simultaneously, ICOs, STOs, and stablecoin providers have to write fully descriptive whitepapers on their activities. All entities may be subject to audits and regulatory oversight.‍

4. Consumer protection‍

MiCA introduces new mechanisms to safeguard investors and consumers, making the crypto world a safer place to invest. This requires transparency in crypto-asset transactions, clear risk disclosures, and obligations to safeguard user funds. Swiss firms operating in or with the EU must adopt these practices, including detailed disclosures, audits, and reports. This means deploying fair treatment of customers and guaranteeing access to dispute-resolution mechanisms.

5. AML, KYC, and CFT best practices

‍Both FINMA and MiCA aim to protect the crypto ecosystem from fraud, market manipulation, and asset misuse. Swiss corporations must comply with AML and KYC best practices both domestically and when operating in the EU. This means thoroughly identifying their customers through a verification process (KYC / KYB) before proceeding with the service providing, complying with the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), and also looking at the MiCA specificities now in place to guarantee compliance with CFT as well.

How Skyline Digital is implementing these regulatory standards

Skyline Digital is a prime example of how a company can successfully adapt to evolving regulations like MiCA while maintaining a competitive edge. 

Skyline Digital is at the forefront of regulatory compliance, being registered as a VASP and financial intermediary with VQF, an SRO supervised by FINMA in Switzerland, and also registered as a VASP with OAM in Italy. This dual compliance ensures frictionless operations across borders, including within the EU under MiCA.

The company looks closely at every regulation around the globe as it provides a worldwide service for underbanked Web3 businesses, foundations, DAOs, High-Networth Individuals, and Founders. Its mission is to bridge the gap between TradFi and DeFi, ensuring that Web3 organizations can operate efficiently in both worlds.


Skyline Digital has developed a self-custodial platform that provides direct and transparent access to a wide range of financial services, such as third-party fiat payments, tokenized securities, crypto-to-crypto transactions, virtual IBANs, OTC trades, and DeFi loans.