meta_id 3022428

On March 31, 2026, Sweden's Financial Supervisory Authority (Finansinspektionen or FI) announced it will apply new guidelines on crypto-assets published by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). The guidelines, developed under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), clarify criteria for assessing knowledge and competence requirements for crypto-asset service providers. The guidelines provide direction to help crypto-asset service providers fulfil their obligations to act in their customers' best interests. FI considers ESMA guidelines directed at competent authorities or financial market participants equivalent to Swedish general advice. Under Regulation 1095/2010/EU establishing ESMA, competent authorities and financial market participants are required to make all available efforts to comply with these guidelines. The guidelines become effective on July 28, 2026. FI's application of the guidelines means crypto-asset service providers operating in Sweden must ensure their compliance frameworks align with ESMA's requirements by the effective date. This includes implementing appropriate knowledge and competence assessments for personnel involved in crypto-asset services. Market participants should review the guidelines to understand the specific competence standards expected and adjust their internal policies and training programmes accordingly. **Reference:** Finansinspektionen (March 31, 2026). "FI tillämpar riktlinjer om kryptotillgångar." Available at: https://www.fi.se/sv/publicerat/nyheter/2026/fi-tillamppar-riktlinjer-om-kryptotillgangar/