EU Regulation of Cross-border Crowdfunding Services

The EU Parliament is about to adopt a crowdfunding regulation that will enable 'European crowdfunding service providers' (ECSPs) to help businesses raise funding directly from investors across the EU more easily than they can today. The regulation calls for the related funds flows to be handled under payment services regulation, and adds operational and prudential requirements related to lending and investment in securities. I have covered the regulation in more detail for Leman Solicitors in Ireland, as the EU regulation will be of little use to UK-based platforms owing to Brexit and the end of passporting, even where the regulation applies.

Since helping start Zopa, the first peer-to-peer lending platform, in 2005 I've acted for many peer-to-peer lending platforms and some crowd-investment platforms in the UK, as well as advising in relation to e-money and payment services since 1999. If you have plans in this area, please get in touch.