EU securities watchdog to arm itself with crypto data

FILE PHOTO: Representations of the Ripple, Bitcoin, Etherum and Litecoin virtual currencies are seen on a PC motherboard in this illustration picture, February 14, 2018. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/

LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union's securities watchdog has begun preparations for increased scrutiny of crypto transactions after the bloc agreed groundbreaking rules to regulate what it called a "Wild West" sector, a public tender document showed.

While cryptoasset firms will be licensed by national regulators in the 27-country bloc, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) will monitor the bigger players.