TRM Talks: Implementing the EU’s MiCA with Peter Kerstens, European Commission Advisor

Last year the EU Parliament passed MiCA — Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation. MiCA, arguably the world’s most comprehensive framework for crypto, requires crypto-asset service providers and issuers to take action related to governance, consumer protection and AML. As key deadlines approach for MiCA implementation across the continent, Peter Kerstens, Advisor – Financial Sector Technological Innovation and Cybersecurity to the European Commission joins Ari Redbord, TRM's Global Head of Policy on TRM Talks to discuss MiCA implementation, what’s next for DeFi, and what the world can learn from Europe’s crypto experiment.

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Peter Kerstens

Peter advises on technological innovation, digital transformation and cybersecurity at the European Commission’s financial services department. He has led work on the European Commission’s Fintech Action Plan and Digital Finance Strategy and co-chaired the European Commission’s Fintech Taskforce. Peter is often called the father of Mica (the EU Markets in Crypto Assets Regulation) and Dora (the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act). Peter has extensive experience in EU policy and regulation in various fields, including the single market, financial services, digitalization, security, foreign policy sanctions, consumer protection, and health and food safety.

Earlier in his career, Peter was Finance Counsellor at the EU Embassy in Washington DC. He has also been a member of the private offices of the commissioner for the internal market and services and the commissioner for health and consumer protection. Before joining the European Commission, Peter advised significant corporations on EU policy and regulatory affairs. He is a Dutch national with double magna cum laude master's degrees in European affairs and political science from the College of Europe in Bruges and the University of Leuven, Belgium. He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Vanderbilt University Law School and a consummate public speaker.