Editorial team · Author profile

Ana Petrova

Ana Petrova

Methodology Editor · Crypto Law Index

10+ years in regulatory practice and analysis

About Ana

Ana keeps the CLPAI methodology current and edits the comparison and ranking-rationale articles. Before joining the publication she spent six years in Big Four risk advisory, working primarily on payment-institution and e-money authorisation files across the Baltics and CEE region. Her editorial focus is on the operational realities of regulatory engagement that don't appear in press releases.

Credentials

  • ICA International Diploma in AML
  • Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS)

Education

  • M.Sc., Risk Management and Financial Engineering, Riga Business School
  • B.Sc., Finance, BA School of Business and Finance, Riga

Specialties

  • CLPAI methodology
  • Comparison and ranking rationale
  • AML/CFT regulatory analysis
  • Operational reality of regulator engagement

Articles by Ana · 21

mica rules

DeFi Under MiCA 2026 — What's Regulated and What Isn't

MiCA covers crypto-asset services 'on behalf of clients' — which catches centralised custody, exchange, and trading platforms but …

mica rules

MiCA Article 75 Crypto Custody — Segregation and Safeguarding

MiCA Article 75 sets the operational rulebook for CASP custody of client crypto-assets — segregation, ledger accuracy, bankruptcy-…

jurisdiction

Latvia Latvijas Banka CASP Authorisation 2026 — Practitioner Guide

Latvia merged the FCMC into Latvijas Banka in 2023 — a single-supervisor model now covers MiCA CASP authorisation. Small but engag…

mica rules

MiCA Article 78 — Inducements and Crypto-Asset Conflicts

MiCA Article 78 imposes the inducements rule on CASPs — disclosure of any fees, commissions, or non-monetary benefits paid or rece…

mica rules

MiCA Marketing for Influencers and KOLs 2026 — The Rules

MiCA Article 7 applies to influencer and KOL marketing of crypto-assets in the EU. The CASP or issuer remains liable for fair-clea…

mica rules

MiCA Fair-Clear-Not-Misleading Test 2026 — ESMA Examples

ESMA's 2026 Guidelines apply the MiCA Article 7 fair-clear-not-misleading standard through worked examples — what passes and what …

jurisdiction

Austria FMA CASP Authorisation 2026 — Practitioner Guide

Austria transposed MiCA through amendments to the Banking Act (BWG) and Capital Markets Act (KMG). The FMA supervises CASP authori…

operational

EU DLT Pilot Regime and MiCA — How the Two Interact

The DLT Pilot Regime is the EU's sandbox for trading and settlement of tokenised financial instruments. MiCA covers crypto-assets …

jurisdiction

Greece HCMC CASP Authorisation 2026 — Practitioner Guide

Greece transposed MiCA via Law 5193/2025 and designated the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC) as the national competent au…

mica rules

MiCA Article 60 — When EU Financial Firms Offer Crypto Without a CASP Licence

MiCA Article 60 gives already-authorised credit institutions, investment firms, EMIs, UCITS managers, and AIFMs a notification-onl…

stablecoin nft

Stablecoin Issuer Licence: EMI vs MiCA ART Issuer Compared

A stablecoin issuer in the EU needs one of two licences — an EMI authorisation under EMD2 for an EMT, or a MiCA Title III ART issu…

stablecoin nft

EMT vs ART: The Two MiCA Stablecoin Categories Explained

MiCA does not have one 'stablecoin'. It has two — the e-money token, which references a single official currency, and the asset-re…

company formation

Estonia OÜ for a Crypto Business: Company Formation Explained

The Estonian OÜ is the most-used company form for EU-facing crypto founders — fast, remote via e-Residency, with a €0.01 minimum c…

operational

CASP Complaints Handling Under MiCA: What the Rules Require

Complaints handling looks like a minor operational item — until a supervisor asks for the procedure, the template, the records, an…

comparison

CASP vs VASP: What Actually Changed Under MiCA

VASP was the old national-register world — light, fragmented, AML-only. CASP is the MiCA world — authorised, passportable, prudent…

operational

Fit and Proper for CASPs: Who Can Run a MiCA-Licensed Firm

MiCA does not just licence the firm — it assesses the people. The management body and qualifying shareholders of a CASP must be fi…

operational

Conflicts of Interest for CASPs: What the ESMA RTS Requires

MiCA's conflicts-of-interest rule requires CASPs to identify, prevent, manage, and disclose conflicts of interest. The ESMA Final …

mica rules

Marketing Crypto in the EU: What MiCA Actually Requires

MiCA's marketing rule imposes 'fair, clear, not misleading' rules on every marketing communication for in-scope crypto-assets — in…

operational

Banking Access for Licensed CASPs: What Works in the EU in 2026

Authorisation under MiCA does not solve banking. A licensed CASP still needs an operating bank account, a client-money settlement …

jurisdiction

Malta MFSA Class 3 CASP Substance: The Strictest Bar in the EU

Malta is the only EU jurisdiction whose supervisor reads MiCA's CASP authorisation requirement as requiring functional separation …

comparison

Best EU Jurisdiction for MiCA CASP in 2026: A Practical Comparison

Lithuania, Estonia, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Malta, Ireland — six EU member states actively process MiCA CASP files in 2026, and th…

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