The Regulation on Requirements for Electronic Securities Registers (Verordnung über Anforderungen an elektronische Wertpapierregister, eWpRV) is a German federal regulation governing how electronic securities registers are established, operated, documented and supervised under the German Electronic Securities Act (eWpG). It applies to electronic securities registers under eWpG §4(1), including central registers and crypto securities registers, and to the entities that maintain those registers. The regulation was issued on Oct. 24, 2022, published in the Bundesgesetzblatt on Oct. 28, 2022 and entered into force on Oct. 29, 2022. As of July 3, 2026, the regulation is in force; consolidated sources reflect a 2026 Standortfördergesetz amendment that repealed §17, formerly setting out details for BaFin’s crypto securities list.
Regulatory Role in Germany’s Electronic Securities Framework
The eWpRV operates as a technical and operational layer beneath the eWpG. The eWpG defines the two main register forms: central registers for central-register securities and crypto securities registers for electronic securities recorded in a crypto securities register. The eWpRV then specifies how register managers must handle participants, documentation, register entries, access, authentication, data integrity and DLT-specific controls.
For crypto markets, the regulation matters because a crypto security under the eWpG is not simply an unregulated token. It is an electronic security whose legal record is maintained in a statutory register. The eWpRV helps define the register infrastructure that supports that legal record without turning the profile into compliance advice for issuers, custodians or technology providers.
Key Requirements for Electronic Securities Registers
The regulation requires register-managing entities to document the setup and operation of the register, procedures for instructions and consents, and the timing and validity requirements for transfers. The documentation must be understandable to a knowledgeable third party, kept for the required retention period and made available electronically to BaFin on request. BaFin may issue orders where documentation or documented arrangements do not adequately protect investors’ legitimate interests.
- Register integrity and security: the register must be operated according to the state of the art so that confidentiality, integrity, availability and authenticity of data are protected for the period in which protection is needed.
- Terms and investor information: emission terms must be stored as durable electronic documents and, subject to permitted access limits, be available online. Register entries must include core rights information and an International Securities Identification Number.
- Access and identification: participants can retrieve register information concerning them, while persons requesting information must provide suitable evidence of identity. Instruction-givers must be identified and linked reliably to cryptographic signatures or comparable authentication instruments.
Crypto Securities Register Provisions
Section 3 of the regulation adds requirements for register-managing entities that operate crypto securities registers. These provisions address the distinct operational risks of decentralized or cryptographic recording systems. Register managers must document procedures for entries, corrections, register changes, data transfer to another register, participation criteria and the format of register extracts.
For crypto securities registers, BaFin can require the source code of the recording system, including smart contracts, and the description of that system. The regulation also requires cryptographic methods to meet the state of the art and to preserve data integrity, authenticity and confidentiality. Interfaces must support export and data retrieval in common formats, and BaFin may use interface access in individual cases for supervisory assessment.
Status, Amendment History and Practical Scope
The eWpRV entered into force the day after promulgation. Its current status should be read together with the eWpG and related BaFin materials on crypto securities register management. A notable 2026 update is the repeal of §17, which previously specified information flows for the BaFin crypto securities list. Editors should verify the consolidated text on Gesetze im Internet before publication because German financial-services statutes and ordinances are amended frequently.
The profile should be categorized as a German regulation concerning securities, tokenization, registration infrastructure and privacy or cybersecurity controls. It is most relevant to electronic securities, crypto securities, tokenized debt instruments and other assets that fall within the eWpG register architecture.