PANews reported on September 17 that according to Reuters, a spokesperson for Malta's financial regulator said on Tuesday that the agency opposed other countries' push to give EU securities regulators more power to regulate cryptocurrency companies. The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA)'s cryptocurrency license issuance process was reviewed earlier this year. The agency said it supports the European Securities and Markets Authority's work to achieve "regulatory convergence" in cryptocurrency regulation, but does not support regulatory centralization. Its spokesperson said in an emailed comment: "We believe that centralization at this stage will only add a layer of bureaucracy, which may reduce efficiency at a time when the EU is actively working to improve competitiveness."

On Monday , France, Italy and Austria called on the Paris-based European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) to take over oversight of large cryptocurrency firms, citing concerns about discrepancies in national enforcement of the EU’s new cryptocurrency rules.