Regulation. The very word can make an entrepreneur break into cold sweat – and for good reason. Regulation has its pros, of course. It keeps the bad actors at bay, protects consumers from dodgy dealings and ensures we don’t all end up in a dystopian tech-fuelled nightmare. But when it comes to innovation, too much regulation can feel like trying to sprint with a ball and chain around your ankle.

Take Europe, for example. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) are well-intentioned but heavy-handed. While they aim to protect privacy and prevent financial chaos, they’ve also saddled companies with enough compliance paperwork to deforest half of Scandinavia.

And what about emerging tech? AI, robotics, stablecoins, Bitcoin etc. are all playgrounds of innovation. Slapping strict regulations on them too early would be like telling Picasso to stick to paint-by-numbers. Of course, you will get something orderly, but you will never discover the true genius.

If Europe wants to lead in tech innovation, it needs to avoid strangling itself with regulation. Instead of centralised mandates, how about a more flexible, decentralised approach? One that allows room for experimentation while setting broad, sensible guidelines and adopting common sense. Because if we’re not careful, Europe might end up being the world’s most compliant continent… just not the most innovative. And nobody wants to be remembered for inventing red tape.

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