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 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 …

MiCA CASP application · documentation checklist

MiCA CASP Application Requirements 2026 — Documents Checklist

MiCA CASP application requirements are set by Article 62 and ESMA's authorisation RTS — a defined documentation pack covering governance, ca…

MiCA Article 73 · CASP outsourcing

CASP Outsourcing 2026 — MiCA Article 73 Compliance Framework

MiCA Article 73 sets the outsourcing framework for CASPs — what can be outsourced, contractual requirements, supervisor notification, and on…

Crypto compliance officer · MLRO role

Crypto Compliance Officer 2026 — MLRO Role and Responsibilities Guide

Crypto compliance officer role under MiCA combines MLRO duties with broader prudential, conduct, and operational resilience oversight. The r…

Crypto KYC · CASP operational compliance

Crypto KYC Requirements 2026 — CASP Operational Compliance Guide

Crypto KYC requirements operate at the intersection of MiCA, AMLR, FATF guidance, and national AML frameworks. The compliance build for CASP…

EU crypto sanctions · CASP compliance

EU Crypto Sanctions Framework 2026 — CASP Compliance Guide

EU crypto sanctions framework operates through the EU consolidated sanctions list, sectoral Russia/Belarus rules, country embargoes, and OFA…