• Consob has urged VASPs to secure CASP approval or shut down by December 30, 2025.
• This comes as the deadline for transitioning to new MiCAR policies approaches.
• Unauthorised operators will halt their services and return user assets.

Italy’s financial regulator Consob has issued an urgent call to digital assets investors and operators as the nation moves closer to adopting MiCAR policies.

According to the late yesterday press release, Consob emphasised December 30, 2025, as the last day VASPs (Virtual Asset Service Providers) operating under the existing regime will be able to serve without full approval.

Consob has warned that operators who fail to follow this transition risk a ban.

Thus, any VASP operating in Italy should adhere to the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation or exit the marketplace.

The press release highlighted:

30 December 2025 is the last day on which Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs, operators currently offering virtual asset services, such as cryptocurrency exchanges) registered with the OAM (the Organismo Agenti e Mediatori, or Agents and Brokers Organisation) can continue to operate.

MiCAR resets Italy’s regulatory rulebook

Italian regulators have only wanted VASPs to secure the OAM (Organismo Agenti e Mediatori) certificate to operate seamlessly over the years.

Meanwhile, MiCAR brings tougher rules, with only fully licensed Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) permitted to serve the European Union.

Meanwhile, the authorisation procedure involves operational checks, client protection requirements, supervisory controls, and existing monitoring. That’s far stricter than the previous model.

Consob stressed that VASPs will only operate if they apply for CASP certification in Italy or any other European Union Member State by December 30.

Operators who submit applications by this deadline can keep offering services until the final decision, but all entities should adhere to MiCAR by June 30, 2026.

What’s next for investors?

Consob has warned both operators and day-to-day cryptocurrency users.

Investors should promptly confirm whether their desired service provider plans to adhere to the new policies and requirements.

Here, they can monitor two crucial things.

First and foremost, investors should check whether the operator has published its MiCAR transition plans.

Secondly, investors should verify the provider’s regulatory status after the deadline.

VASPs that don’t apply or fail to secure approval will not operate in Italy after December 30, and customers can request a return of their assets upon such developments.

Meanwhile, Consob confirmed warning operators multiple times during the transition phase, highlighting updates in September last year, July 2025, and the October 31 notice to companies still holding only the OAM certificate.

While some operators view MiCAR as the pathway for regulated, international operations, others consider the new regulation as the end of the road.

Meanwhile, digital assets investors should stay alert, check the provider’s regulatory status, and act before the new MiCAR regulations lock them out or pressure them with last-minute withdrawals.

Fresh data from Binance shows that Ethereum (ETH) average order size has been trending upward since late July 2025, signaling a structural shift in market dynamics. Analysts say the cryptocurrency’s recent rally is largely driven by Binance whales.

Ethereum Rally Driven By Large-Scale Binance Orders

According to a CryptoQuant Quicktake post by contributor Crazzyblockk, Ethereum whales are now dominating order flows on the Binance exchange. The analyst highlighted the average ETH order size on the platform as evidence.

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Crazzyblockk shared the following chart showing different phases of average ETH order size on Binance. Retail-driven phases, highlighted in red, dominated much of 2023–24, when small orders drove up ETH’s price but left it vulnerable to corrections.

These retail-driven periods were followed by neutral phases, shown in gray, which reflected indecision among ETH investors. This phase was characterized by fragmented participation and sideways trading behavior.

Fast-forward to mid-2025, whale orders – highlighted in green – are firmly in control. Average order sizes have now surged past $3,000 per trade, signaling accumulation by institutional and large-scale investors.

The CryptoQuant analyst noted that this whale dominance reflects renewed institutional confidence in ETH, aligning with its rapid price appreciation in recent months. Larger average orders suggest fewer fragmented trades and stronger directional conviction.

Binance was chosen for the analysis not only as the world’s largest exchange but also because it is the “epicenter of ETH capital flow.” Crazzyblockk concluded:

ETH’s latest rally isn’t just retail speculation – it’s being powered by whales on Binance. With large-scale players setting the tone, Ethereum’s market structure looks increasingly robust, and Binance remains the hub where these decisive flows shape price performance.

Is ETH Getting Ready For A Rally?

While Bitcoin (BTC) has tumbled 4.1% over the past 30 days, ETH is up 23.4% in the same period, indicating that large-scale investors may be in the middle of capital rotation from BTC to ETH over the past month.

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Analysts predict ETH may have further room to grow for the remainder of 2025. Ethereum contracts are seeing a sharp resurgence in 2025, setting the stage for a potential rally to a new all-time high (ATH) of $5,000 towards the end of the year.

Ethereum fundamentals are also strengthening, with as much as 36 million ETH staked on the blockchain, raising the possibility of a supply crunch. That said, despite whale accumulation, some analysts caution that ETH could dip to $4,000. At press time, ETH trades at $4,316, down 2.8% in the past 24 hours.

Featured image from Unsplash, charts from CryptoQuant and TradingView.com