Moldova plans to introduce its first comprehensive cryptocurrency bill by the end of 2026, aligning its rules with the European Union’s Cryptoassets Market Regulation (MiCA) framework, the country’s Finance Minister Andrian Gavrilita said.
Gavrilita said in an interview with state-run TVR Moldova on Wednesday that the government is working with regulators to develop a legal framework that would allow citizens to hold and trade cryptocurrencies, although it has not yet stopped short of recognizing digital assets as a means of payment.
“We have a responsibility to regulate our currencies, and it is the people’s right to hold these currencies,” he said. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to get by within the next month, but this is our relationship with the European Union. We can’t ban[cryptocurrencies].”
The announcement comes more than a year after the full implementation of the EU’s MiCA Framework, the crypto industry’s first comprehensive regulatory framework, which came into effect for crypto asset service providers on December 30, 2024.
This move marks Moldova’s first official cryptocurrency law. The country’s central bank has issued multiple warnings about the volatility and money laundering risks associated with digital assets.
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Under the plan, the Ministry of Finance, the National Bank of Moldova, the country’s financial market regulator and anti-money laundering authority will jointly draft the bill.
Although the bill aims to legalize the holding and trading of virtual currencies, it does not include provisions to legalize digital assets for payments in the country, Gavrilita said.
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Cryptocurrency is an area of speculation, Moldova’s finance minister warns
Gavrilita repeatedly emphasized the speculative nature of cryptocurrencies during the interview. “I avoid using the word investment when it comes to cryptocurrencies,” he says.
“I consider them an area of speculation, but the public has the right to operate them anyway, and there will be legislation this year.”
He did not go into details about the upcoming legislation, but said countries like Estonia could set an example due to the “simplicity” of its laws.
Meanwhile, other countries are pushing back against potential licensing loopholes in Europe’s MiCA framework.
In September 2025, France joined Austrian and Italian securities regulators to become the third European country to call on the Paris-based European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to take over supervision of large crypto companies.
The move follows mounting criticism of Malta’s cryptocurrency licensing regime. In July, ESMA published a peer review of the Malta Financial Services Authority’s licensing of crypto service providers, saying the regulator had only “partially met expectations”.
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