Coinbase executive: The EU's DeFi regulatory proposal may force users to turn to higher-risk platforms

Coinbase's EU policy head Roeland Van der Stappen stated that the EU's efforts to tighten regulation on DeFi may push crypto users towards platforms with less investor protection. He told Cointelegraph that regulated crypto platforms might limit or even eliminate access to DeFi services as a result. He mentioned that rules aimed at protecting investors will ultimately push activities towards the least protected areas.

In September, the European Securities and Markets Authority, in response to the EU Commission's MiCA consultation, suggested establishing a new category of regulated crypto services for companies providing access to DeFi protocols for customers. The European Banking Authority urged the Commission to explore new regulations for crypto lending that include suitability testing as one of the options. Van der Stappen noted that extending such tests to other DeFi services could treat simple stablecoin exchanges and leveraged lending equally, despite the different risks involved; lending, liquidity provision, and on-chain exchanges would be the most affected activities.

He warned that restricting access through regulated platforms could fragment DeFi liquidity into smaller pools, resulting in worse trading prices for EU users and fostering isolated "walled garden" services that direct users towards providers outside the EU with less protection. An Adan-Ipsos survey in 2026 showed that 49% of French crypto buyers preferred accessing DeFi through exchanges, while 14% preferred personal wallets. Chainalysis reported that the slight decline in crypto activity in Germany was mainly due to reduced activity on decentralized exchanges; overall crypto activity in the EU grew by 2.2% in the 12 months leading up to June 2026.