A two-day workshop held in Chisinau, organised under the European Union and Council of Europe’s Partnership for Good Governance initiative, brought together national authorities to explore international standards and best practices for regulating and supervising Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs).
The event provided a vital platform for representatives from key institutions—including the National Bank of the Republic of Moldova, the Office for Prevention and Fight Against Money Laundering, the National Commission for Financial Market Supervision, and the General Prosecutor’s Office—to discuss Moldova’s strategic approach to licensing and supervising the VASP sector.
Council of Europe international experts presented a range of regulatory models aligned with the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards. Participants analysed these models in the context of Moldova’s existing regulatory landscape, identifying gaps and opportunities for strengthening the national framework.
Discussions addressed core challenges such as mitigating money laundering and terrorist financing risks, establishing effective licensing mechanisms, and building a robust AML/CFT supervisory system tailored to the emerging virtual assets sector.
Falk Lange, Head of the Council of Europe Office in Chisinau, underscored the urgency of developing a sound regulatory approach:
“Virtual assets present both tremendous opportunities and substantial challenges. While offering financial inclusion and technological advancement, they also create risks related to money laundering, terrorist financing, and fraud. The absence of a robust regulatory framework could expose the country’s financial system to vulnerabilities. The Republic of Moldova is committed to developing a legal and supervisory environment that ensures financial stability while allowing responsible innovation. Today’s discussions will help shape the roadmap for regulatory clarity, ensuring that VASPs operate within a transparent and accountable framework.”
The conclusions and recommendations from the workshop will inform Moldova’s forthcoming legislative efforts to align its regulatory framework with EU and FATF standards—fostering responsible innovation while safeguarding the financial system against abuse.
This event is part of the European Union and the Council of Europe joint programme “Partnership for Good Governance”, co-funded by the European Union and the Council of Europe, and implemented by the Council of Europe, in the framework of the project on “Strengthening the Anti-Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Regime in the Republic of Moldova”.
