Subject Matter
Crypto-asset transfers as component of another crypto-asset service or as a separate crypto-asset transfer service
Question
Recital 93 of MiCA states that “[…] Many crypto-asset service providers also offer some kind of transfer service for crypto-assets as part of, for example, the service of providing custody and administration of crypto-assets on behalf of clients, exchange of crypto-assets for funds or other crypto-assets, or execution of orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients […].”
Does Recital 93 of MiCA imply that a crypto-asset transfer offered as part of a crypto-asset service (such as custody and administration or execution of orders on behalf of clients) is to be regarded as a component of such a crypto-asset service and should therefore not be subject to the authorisation requirements under Article 59 of MiCA? Or would such a transfer of crypto-asset still qualify as the separate service of crypto-asset transfer, as defined under Article 3(1), point (26), of MiCA, and be subject to authorisation requirements?
What criteria should be taken into account to determine whether the crypto-asset transfer is a separate service or not?
Please confirm that, if a transfer of crypto-assets is part of a crypto-asset service such as custody and administration or execution of orders on behalf of clients and thus does not constitute the separate service of transfer of crypto-assets, the requirements in Article 82 MiCA apply anyway (including the ESMA guidelines issued according to the mandate in Article 82(2)).