Malta: Technology

The Malta Financial Services Authority has issued critical guidance on compliance reporting and digital operational resilience for financial institutions operating in Malta.

For decades, digital trust has relied on a foundational assumption: that the cryptographic systems securing financial infrastructure are effectively unbreakable within any realistic business horizon. That assumption is now being re‑examined.

The Malta Financial Services Authority has introduced a new General Code of Conduct for Decision Makers in the Financial Services Industry, establishing principles-based supervisory expectations for governance, leadership behaviour and senior-level decision-making. While non-prescriptive, the Code serves as a key reference point in supervisory engagement and inspections, applying broadly to board members, senior executives and decision makers within MFSA-supervised and listed entities.

The EU AI Act adopts a risk-based approach, meaning applicability is not determined by company size, but by what the system does and how it is used. A recurring misconception among founders...

AI's impact hinges on the safeguards and governance frameworks that guide its deployment, not the technology itself. Recent harmful chatbot incidents expose the inadequacy of voluntary self-regulation when commercial pressures eclipse safety considerations. The EU AI Act emerges as a critical regulatory intervention to establish mandatory safety standards, accountability mechanisms, and oversight structures that protect the public from preventable AI-related harm.

It is equally our pleasure to have hosted Mr Ian Deguara, Malta’s Information and Data Protection Commissioner, for a one-on-one discussion on his achievements...

DAC8 represents a pivotal shift in EU crypto-asset regulation, extending tax transparency requirements beyond traditional finance to crypto platforms and operators.

The Malta Financial Services Authority has issued critical guidance on compliance reporting and digital operational resilience for financial institutions operating in Malta.

The European Union has reached a compromise on the Payment Services Directive 3 (PSD3) and Payment Services Regulation (PSR), introducing sweeping changes to harmonise payment rules across Member States. The package addresses fragmentation under PSD2 by migrating conduct-of-business rules into directly applicable regulations, while introducing new provisions on cash access, cryptocurrency payment services, fraud liability, and open banking.