Named experts · Regulator or policymaker
Verena Ross
European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) ↗ · European Union
Listed for the positions this person takes or has taken on crypto regulation, not as counsel you can engage.
★ Editor's Watch — MiCA CASP, Stablecoin issuance, Market abuse
About Verena
Verena Ross has chaired the European Securities and Markets Authority since November 2021, after serving as its Executive Director. Her term ends on 31 October 2026; she did not seek a second mandate, and Carlo Comporti takes over on 1 November 2026. Under MiCA, ESMA drafts technical standards and guidelines, keeps the EU register of white papers, issuers and CASPs, and coordinates national authorities; it does not supervise CASPs directly. Her tenure covered MiCA from adoption to the end of the transitional periods.
Editor's note
ESMA Chair through MiCA's adoption and first application; the authority's statements under her set much of the supervisory tone for CASPs. Leaves office 31 October 2026.
Practice fields
Credentials
- Chair, European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), November 2021 to October 2026
- Previously Executive Director, ESMA
- Previously Head of Department of International Affairs, UK Financial Services Authority
Jurisdictions
Sources
Every entry on this page is sourced from public records. The references below are the evidence base for the practitioner's expertise claims.
Relevant guides
Knowledge-base coverage that overlaps with Verena's practice (European Union · MiCA CASP, Stablecoin issuance, Market abuse).
MiCA · CASP operations & lifecycle
CASP Operations and Lifecycle 2026 — MiCA Passport, Banking, Wind-Down
The CASP passport under MiCA Article 65 went operational in late 2024 — but a working passport is one part of running an authorised CASP. Th…
Qualifying holdings · CASP acquisitions
Qualifying Holdings Acquisitions 2026 — MiCA CASP Guide
MiCA Articles 83 and 84 govern notification and assessment of any acquisition of a qualifying holding in a CASP, and of increases past 20%, …
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…
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…
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…