The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) has warned the public over claims made by DistributeX regarding its alleged dealings with the regulator, stressing that the company has never been licensed, authorised or approved by the Authority.

The warning follows a communication entitled “DistributeX Official Announcement”, which the MFSA said was circulated by the entity to its members on Wednesday.

According to the MFSA, the communication contained a number of statements concerning the Authority and claimed that DistributeX had entered into discussions with the MFSA regarding its activities.

DistributeX first came to wider public attention following a MaltaToday investigation which highlighted several red flags surrounding the entity. While the apparent purpose of the operation was clear, questions remained over the nature of the services or products it was actually offering.

In the communication it also reportedly claimed that the MFSA had advised DistributeX that it was required to comply with the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) and applicable anti-money laundering requirements.

However, the MFSA has categorically denied these claims, stating that no discussions have taken place between the Authority and DistributeX and that it provided no regulatory advice or instructions of the kind described in the company's communication.

The Authority also made clear that it has not endorsed, approved or otherwise accepted any compliance measures purportedly being implemented by DistributeX.

The MFSA drew particular attention to a request contained in the communication instructing European users to transfer €300 to a designated DistributeX account. The company reportedly described the payment as part of an “on-chain address interaction and fund-receiving capability verification” process.

The MFSA strongly advised members of the public to exercise extreme caution before transferring any additional funds to DistributeX in response to this or similar requests.

The Authority reiterated that DistributeX, distributex, DistributeX Limited, DX Distribute and DX, as well as individuals, representatives or promoter groups operating under these names, are not and have never been licensed, authorised, regulated or otherwise approved by the MFSA.

Activities carried out by unlicensed entities are unregulated and may expose consumers to significant financial risks.

The MFSA's list of licensed entities is available through its official website, and consumers are urged to independently verify the regulatory status of a firm before transferring funds or entering into a financial services transaction.

The warning comes amid a series of public alerts issued by the MFSA concerning fraudulent and potentially high-risk financial schemes, including scams targeting crypto-asset holders, entities allegedly offering financial services without authorisation, and advertisements falsely promoting an MFSA compensation programme.