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The European Central Bank (ECB) has raised alarm over the potential fallout from the United States’ aggressive support for the crypto industry, warning that a surge in dollar-backed stablecoins could destabilize Europe’s financial system.
According to a policy paper seen by _POLITICO_ , the ECB has asked for a revision of the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies just months after it came into effect.
At the center of the dispute is the concern that US reforms, backed by President Donald Trump, could flood European markets with dollar-denominated stablecoins.
The ECB fears this could trigger a flight of European capital into US assets, undermining EU financial sovereignty and exposing banks to liquidity risks.
## ECB and European Commission Clash Over MiCA Rules
While the ECB calls for tighter controls, the European Commission has dismissed these warnings as exaggerated, per the report.
The report, citing two diplomats and one EU official, said that the existing MiCA framework is robust enough to manage stablecoin risks despite upcoming US policies like the Stablecoin Transparency and Accountability for a Better Ledger Economy (STABLE) and the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins (GENIUS) Acts aimed at expanding America’s crypto footprint.
“The Commission was quite clear that they had different views on this topic,” and “not very many (countries) supported the idea that we should now jump the gun and start making quick changes in (the rules) based on this alone,” one of the diplomats reportedly told POLITICO.
The stablecoin sector now commands a valuation of $234.151 billion, according to data from CoinMarketCap.
The ECB warns that European issuers could face redemption pressures from EU and foreign holders without stricter limits, potentially sparking a financial “run” and harming exposed institutions.
“The worry is warranted,” Mikko Ohtamaa, co-founder and CEO at Trading Strategy, said in a post on X. “However, the EU had the first mover advantage with the regulation and they screwed it up.”
Ohtamaa said no EU stablecoin is globally competitive due to MiCA’s restrictive rules, which are influenced by bank and legacy finance lobbying.
_Source:__Mikko Ohtamaa_
_**Related: **__**US regulator,s FDIC and CFTC, ease crypto restrictions for banks, derivatives**_
## Tether Remains a Major Critic of MiCA
Tether, the issuer of the world’s largest stablecoin, USDT, has long been a major critic of the EU’s MiCA regulation.
Last year, CEO Paolo Ardoino argued that MiCA’s requirements, particularly the mandate for stablecoin issuers to hold at least 60% of reserves in EU bank accounts, could introduce systemic risks to both stablecoins and the broader banking system.
Due to noncompliance with MiCA, Tether’s USDT has faced delistings from major European exchanges, including Coinbase, Crypto.com, and Kraken.
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