EU Securities Watchdog Extends Blockchain Task Force Mandate

A distributed ledger task force convened by the European Union's top securities watchdog has been extended.

The supervisory body of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) renewed the task force during a meeting in May, according to newly published minutes. The task force was formed after the agency, in 2015, began to solicit information about the tech from stakeholders in a wide-ranging call for input.

Details about what the task force will do as part of its renewed mandate or how long for which it has been extended isn't exactly clear. But in statements in February, ESMA – which decided to not create new rules for the tech – said it planned to continue watching the space. The task force is likely to be the focal point for those observations.

"ESMA will continue to monitor market developments around [distributed ledger technology] to assess whether a regulatory response may be needed," the agency said at the time.

The task force was first disclosed last year, with members drawn from ESMA's ranks as well as the European Central Bank and the European Commission.

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