EU lawmakers target crypto in anti-corruption strategy
- The European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution urging the European Commission to address corruption risks linked to crypto assets and opaque ownership structures.
- Lawmakers called for stronger efforts to trace, freeze, confiscate and recover criminal proceeds.
- The European Commission plans to adopt its first anti-corruption strategy by the end of 2026.
The European Parliament has urged the European Commission to address cryptocurrency-related corruption risks in its first EU anti-corruption strategy.
Lawmakers adopted a non-binding resolution on 8 October 2026, setting priorities for the Commission’s planned strategy.
The resolution calls for action against corruption involving crypto assets, opaque ownership structures and digital tools.
Members of the European Parliament also want stronger measures to trace, freeze, confiscate and recover criminal proceeds.
The proposals extend beyond digital assets, covering public procurement, grants, conflicts of interest, lobbying and political financing.
Lawmakers also called for stronger protections for whistleblowers and investigative journalists as part of broader anti-corruption efforts.
The strategy is intended to complement the EU’s anti-corruption directive, which entered into force in May and harmonises corruption offences and minimum penalties across the bloc.
The initiative could put crypto-related corruption and asset recovery more firmly on the EU’s policy agenda, with the Commission targeting adoption by the end of 2026.
