EU-Crypto, Qatar-Cash

European Parliament Vice-President Eva Kaili, known for her active role in promoting the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCa) regulations was charged and imprisoned in Belgium, amid a police investigation into alleged corruption linked with Qatar.

In November, Kaili went to Qatar where she "reviewed ongoing labor reforms". "Qatar is a leader in terms of labor rights," she said afterward from the European Parliament tribune, sparking a backlash from colleagues. On the 10th of December, Belgian newspaper L'Echo wrote that "several bags full of banknotes" were discovered at Kaili's Brussels home.

The European Union’s long-anticipated regulation for Markets in Crypto Assets release date was extended to February 2023, pushing back from the initial Q4 2022, with an EU spokesperson telling Coindesk that the delay was due to the length and complexity of the text. In November, the collapse of the FTX crypto exchange and industry chaos put regulatory initiatives under further review. We hope Eva Kaili's case will not affect MiCa realization process and continue to observe.