Moldova plans to introduce its first comprehensive cryptocurrency legislation by the end of 2026, aligning its regulatory approach with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), according to Finance Minister Andrian Gavrilita.
In an interview with state-owned broadcaster TVR Moldova on Wednesday, Gavrilita said the government is working with financial regulators to develop a legal framework that would allow citizens to hold and trade cryptocurrencies, while stopping short of recognizing digital assets as legal tender or a means of payment.
“We have a responsibility to regulate them, and citizens will have the right to hold these currencies,” Gavrilita said. “I’m not sure we can do it in the next month, but it’s part of our commitment to the European Union. You can’t prohibit cryptocurrencies.”
The announcement comes more than a year after the EU fully implemented MiCA—the bloc’s first comprehensive crypto regulatory framework—which took effect for crypto-asset service providers on Dec. 30, 2024.
If enacted, the legislation would mark Moldova’s first formal crypto law. The country’s central bank has previously issued multiple warnings about the volatility of digital assets and their potential use in money laundering.
Under the proposal, the draft legislation would be jointly developed by the Ministry of Finance, the National Bank of Moldova, the country’s financial markets regulator, and its Anti-Money Laundering Authority.
The framework is intended to legalize the holding and trading of cryptocurrencies but will not include provisions allowing digital assets to be used as a means of payment within Moldova, Gavrilita said.
Cryptocurrencies remain speculative, minister warns
Gavrilita repeatedly emphasized the speculative nature of cryptocurrencies during the interview, cautioning against framing them as traditional investments.
“I avoid using the term ‘investments’ when it comes to cryptocurrencies,” he said.
“I see them more as a speculative domain, but citizens have the right to operate them either way, and this year we’ll have the legislation.”
While Gavrilita did not provide further details on the proposed legislation, he said countries such as Estonia offer a useful reference point, citing the “simplicity” of their regulatory frameworks.
At the same time, several European countries are pushing back against what they view as potential licensing loopholes within the EU’s MiCA regime.
In September 2025, France became the third European country—after Austria and Italy—to call for the Paris-based European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to assume direct supervision of major crypto firms.
The push followed mounting criticism of Malta’s crypto licensing framework. In July, ESMA published a peer review of the Malta Financial Services Authority’s authorization of a crypto service provider, concluding that the regulator had only “partially met expectations.”
