Source: OJ L, 2025/416, 14.3.2025Current language: EN
- Markets in crypto-assets
Crypto-asset service provider
- RTS on trading platform order book records
Article 2 Identification of the parties involved in the order
Summary What does Article 2 of the RTS on trading platform order book records say?
This article sets out the record-keeping obligations for crypto-asset service providers operating a trading platform, specifically regarding the identification of parties involved in each order.
It builds directly on Article 1's overarching requirement to maintain order book records, drilling down into who exactly must be identified for every order submitted.
The article covers the full chain of actors: the participant submitting the order (whether a legal entity or natural person), the client on whose behalf it is submitted, and the person or algorithm responsible for both the investment decision and the execution of that order.
It also addresses edge cases such as multiple decision-makers, unallocated orders, and aggregated orders from multiple clients.
Important points:
- Maintain records identifying all key parties for every order, including the submitting participant, the underlying client, and the individuals or algorithms responsible for the investment decision and execution.
- Where multiple persons share an investment decision, record only the person with primary responsibility, and only where the decision is made under a discretionary mandate.
- For aggregated orders combining multiple clients, record client identification details separately for each individual client.
Springlex's summary of the article, a reading aid, not a substitute for the legal text.
For all orders in crypto-assets, crypto-asset service providers operating a trading platform for crypto-assets shall keep records to identify all of the following:
the participant to the trading platform for crypto-assets that is a legal entity and submits the order to the trading platform for crypto-assets, as identified in accordance with Article 4 and field 1 of Table 2 of the Annex;
the participant to the trading platform for crypto-assets who is a natural person and submits the order to the trading platform for crypto-assets, as identified in accordance with field 2 of Table 2 of the Annex;
the client on whose behalf the participant to the trading platform for crypto-assets referred to in points (a) or (b) submits the order to the trading platform for crypto-assets, as identified in accordance with field 3 of Table 2 of the Annex;
the person or the computer algorithm within the participant to the trading platform for crypto-assets referred to in points (a) and (b) that is responsible for the investment decision in relation to the order, as identified in accordance with field 4 of Table 2 of the Annex;
the person or the computer algorithm within the participant to the trading platform for crypto-assets referred to in points (a) and (b) that is responsible for the execution of the order, as identified in accordance with field 5 of Table 2 of the Annex.
For the purposes of point (d), where more than one persons take the investment decision, the crypto-asset service provider operating a trading platform for crypto-assets shall keep records of the person with primary responsibility for that decision. A crypto-asset service provider operating a trading platform for crypto-assets shall only identify such a person or computer algorithm where the investment decision is made on behalf of either the participant, or a client in accordance with a discretionary mandate to it by the client.
Where a participant to the trading platform for crypto-assets intends to allocate an order to its client following submission of the order to the trading platform for crypto-assets and has not yet allocated the order to its client at the time of the submission of the order, that client shall be identified as specified in field 3 of Table 2 of the Annex.
Where several orders of different clients are submitted to the trading platform for crypto-assets together as an aggregated order, the information referred to in field 3 of Table 2 of the Annex shall be recorded in respect of each client.
Relevant recitals
Recital 3 Identifying decision makers behind investment decisions
It is possible that market abuse behaviours, including market manipulation, are carried out through various means, including algorithmic trading. Therefore, to ensure effective market surveillance, where investment decisions are made by a person other than the client or by a computer algorithm, that person or algorithm should be identified in the order and transaction records using unique, robust and consistent identifiers. Where more than one person make an investment decision, the crypto-asset service provider should identify in its records the person with primary responsibility for the decision.
Recital 8 Identifying execution decision makers within service providers
Making a choice as to which crypto-asset trading platform to execute orders on or which crypto-asset service provider to transmit orders to, or determining any other conditions related to the execution of the order can be directly relevant for establishing market abuse behaviour. Therefore, to ensure effective market surveillance, a person or computer algorithm within the crypto-asset service provider that is performing such activities should be identified in the order records. Where both a person and computer algorithm are involved, or more than one person or algorithm are involved, the crypto-asset service provider should determine, on a consistent basis following predetermined criteria, which person or algorithm is primarily responsible for those activities.
Springlex and this text is meant purely as a documentation tool and has no legal effect. No liability is assumed for its content. The authentic version of this act is the one published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Definition
placing of crypto-assets
Definition
distributed ledger
Definition
reception and transmission of orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients
Definition
exchange of crypto-assets for funds
Definition
consensus mechanism
Definition
operation of a trading platform for crypto-assets
Definition
crypto-asset service
- providing custody and administration of crypto-assets on behalf of clients;
- operation of a trading platform for crypto-assets;
- exchange of crypto-assets for funds;
- exchange of crypto-assets for other crypto-assets;
- execution of orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients;
- placing of crypto-assets;
- reception and transmission of orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients;
- providing advice on crypto-assets;
- providing portfolio management on crypto-assets;
- providing transfer services for crypto-assets on behalf of clients;
Definition
offer to the public
Definition
providing advice on crypto-assets
Definition
offeror
Definition
execution of orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients
Definition
crypto-asset service provider
Definition
crypto-asset
Definition
DLT network node
Definition
funds
Definition
client
Definition
issuer
Definition
exchange of crypto-assets for other crypto-assets
Definition
providing custody and administration of crypto-assets on behalf of clients
Definition
providing transfer services for crypto-assets on behalf of clients
Definition
distributed ledger technology