Belgian regulator, Financial Services and Markets Authority has announced new laws requiring accurate crypto ads and warning investors of the risks involved.
As a result of a study accusing cryptocurrency investors of participating in get-rich-quick schemes, the Financial Services and Market Authority (FSMA) will demand notification on all key commercial crypto campaigns.
Participants must abide by a number of requirements under Belgium’s new rules on cryptocurrency advertising, including fundamental guidelines and mandatory disclosures.
The regulations will go into effect on May 17, 2023, according to an announcement by the Belgian Financial Services and Market Authority (FSMA).
Everyone who commercializes cryptocurrencies in Belgium, whether on a regular basis or professionally, is subject to the new regulations. The new regulations put a lot of emphasis on influencers who had escaped some scrutiny.
The regulations include disclosure criteria for legally binding content. Commercials must adhere to the content standards’ requirements for accuracy and decency.
In particular, an advertisement broadcast must be unmistakably recognisable in a manner that is consistent with the dangers involved and without downplaying, hiding, or obfuscating the risks.
Without laying out a reasonable and coherent warning of the dangers, hazards, and circumstances surrounding the coin in issue, the commercial is not permitted to highlight the likely profits of a particular cryptocurrency.
The advertisement must also avoid focusing on details or drawing unrelated parallels that don’t help viewers grasp any potential risks associated with the coin under consideration.
The commercial must adhere to the guidelines and refrain from making predictions about future worth or profit, but all information must be clear and devoid of technical jargon. The regulations require all advertisers to add the declaration:
“Virtual currencies, real risks. The only guarantee in crypto is risk.”
The statement to follow will be the risks associated with the advertisement and the proclamation of the permissible individual appearing in the ad. The FSMA regulations will require entities to submit all “mass campaigns,” especially those targeting more than 25,000 consumers, ten days before their publication date to give time to the regulator to validate.
Banners in public thoroughfares, websites, and social media platforms with more than 25,000 followers are a few examples of distribution channels that reach more than 25,000 consumers.
The new rules illustrate the direction Belgium is heading in regards to cryptocurrencies. It happens at a time when other European nations, like the United Kingdom and France, are limiting cryptocurrency campaigns. The majority of limitations, however, are similar to those that apply to conventional finance.