🚨 Regulatory Update: ESMA Extends Competence Requirements Under MiCA – What It Means for Trainers and Educators

Published: July 2025
By: Academy of Life Planning

🧭 Why This Matters

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has now finalised new knowledge and competence guidelines under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). These rules significantly expand professional standards for anyone providing information or advice on crypto-assets in the European Union.

If you train advisers or offer CPD programmes to firms operating in the EU — particularly Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) — this change may directly affect you.

🧾 What’s New?

Effective January 2026, the following minimum standards apply to anyone providing crypto-related information or advice:

📌 For Information Providers:

80 hours of professional training plus
6 months of supervised experience, or
1 year of relevant supervised experience.

📌 For Advisers:

More rigorous requirements:
- Tertiary qualification + 1 year experience, or
- 160 hours of crypto-specific training, or
- 2 years under MiFID/IDD rules + 6 months of crypto experience.

🔁 Ongoing CPD Requirements:

10 hours/year for information providers
20 hours/year for advisers
Must be documented and assessed (internal or external)

👨‍🏫 Who Is Affected?

These rules apply to:

Staff within CASPs who provide advice or answer crypto-related client queries
Trainers and consultants working on behalf of CASPs
Supervisors of automated information systems

🔒 They do not apply to independent education bodies, thought leaders, or CPD providers not working with CASPs or directly engaging clients.

✅ What This Means for Academy Members

If you are:

A CPD provider serving advisers or CASPs in the EU
A trainer delivering qualifications or experience-based assessments in crypto-related subjects
A coach or mentor helping EU-based professionals meet their regulatory obligations

Then:

Your training content should align with ESMA’s MiCA knowledge criteria
You may wish to seek recognition from national competent authorities as an approved provider
You must be able to demonstrate knowledge standards, hours delivered, and learning outcomes

🚫 What’s Not Regulated

If you:

Provide general financial education unrelated to specific crypto assets
Do not engage with CASPs or advise their clients
Publish non-personalised commentary or warnings on crypto

Then these rules do not apply to your work.

🔎 Academy Position

At the Academy of Life Planning, we continue to:

Educate on the risks of speculative investing
Promote client empowerment over product dependency
Advocate for high standards in all forms of professional development

We encourage trainers operating in the EU to review the full ESMA guidelines and assess whether their programmes may fall within the MiCA scope.

📘 Further Reading

🧭 Need Help Aligning Your Training?

If you’re unsure whether your training activities in the EU fall within MiCA’s scope, or you’d like support aligning with these new rules, please contact us. We’re here to support educators and coaches delivering empowered, compliant, client-centred learning.

👉 Email us at: info@aolp.co.uk
👉 Or book a 1-to-1 session via the AoLP Member Portal