Named experts · Practitioner profile

Peter Kerstens

Peter Kerstens

European Commission ↗ · European Union

★ Editor's Watch — MiCA CASP, Stablecoin issuance

Firm bio ↗

About Peter

Peter Kerstens is the European Commission's adviser on financial-sector technological innovation and cybersecurity, and is widely credited as the architect of MiCA and DORA. He co-chaired the Commission's FinTech Taskforce and led the Digital Finance Strategy that produced Regulation (EU) 2023/1114. Earlier he served as Finance Counsellor at the EU Embassy in Washington DC. As of 2026 he is steering the Commission's MiCA effectiveness review — the public consultation that runs to 31 August 2026 — and has argued the EU should prioritise tokenisation over a rushed MiCA 2.0. For operators reading where the framework goes next, Kerstens is the single most direct signal.

Editor's note

European Commission MiCA/DORA architect steering the 2026 MiCA effectiveness review. The most direct policy signal on where the EU crypto framework heads after the first implementation cycle.

Credentials

  • Adviser, financial-sector technological innovation and cybersecurity, European Commission
  • Architect of MiCA (Regulation (EU) 2023/1114) and DORA (Regulation (EU) 2022/2554)
  • Co-chair, European Commission FinTech Taskforce; led the Digital Finance Strategy
  • Former Finance Counsellor, EU Delegation to the United States

Jurisdictions

  • European Union

Sources

Every entry on this page is sourced from public records. The references below are the evidence base for the practitioner's expertise claims.

  1. TRM Labs — Implementing the EU's MiCA with Peter Kerstens, European Commission Advisor — industry press
  2. Clifford Chance — MiCA, 3 months on: Fireside chat with Peter Kerstens of the European Commission — publication
  3. CoinDesk State of Crypto — Peter Kerstens speaker profile — conference

Relevant guides

Knowledge-base coverage that overlaps with Peter's practice (European Union · MiCA CASP, Stablecoin issuance).

Crypto company formation · Cross-jurisdiction guide

Crypto Company Formation 2026: The Vehicle, the Capital, and the Licence

A cross-jurisdiction guide to forming the company behind a crypto business — Estonia OÜ, Lithuania UAB, Czech s.r.o., Ireland LTD, Poland sp…

Crypto brokerage · OTC desk · MiCA services

Crypto Broker License 2026 — OTC Desk and Brokerage Under MiCA

A crypto broker license under MiCA is built from CASP services — reception and transmission of orders, execution, and placing for an agency …

Crypto casino · Gambling + crypto licensing

Crypto Casino License vs Gambling License 2026 — What Operators Need

Crypto casino operators face the intersection of gambling regulation and crypto-asset regulation. Some jurisdictions treat crypto casinos un…

Licensed crypto exchanges EU · CASP directory 2026

Licensed Crypto Exchanges EU 2026 — Authorised CASP Directory

By 2026 the EU has approximately 300-500 authorised CASPs operating under MiCA Regulation. This guide explains how authorisation works, wher…

MiCA stablecoin · Title III + Title IV

MiCA Stablecoin Regulation Summary 2026 — Title III ART + Title IV EMT

MiCA's stablecoin regulation splits across Title III (asset-referenced tokens) and Title IV (e-money tokens) with distinct issuer authorisat…

VASP licensing · Pre-MiCA frameworks

VASP License Crypto Explained — Pre-MiCA Frameworks to MiCA Migration

VASP (Virtual Asset Service Provider) registration was the dominant pre-MiCA EU crypto framework — AML-focused registration in Estonia, Lith…