Topicality. The potential competition represents an important factor to be considered when performing competition analysis. There is an increasing interest in this concept, in the context of digital market development and the emergence of new digital business models. Potential competition remains subject to significant uncertainty and requires similar attention as actual competition. Purpose. This paper analyzes the concept of potential competition and how it may impact the competition analyses on contestable markets, with the aim of providing guidance for the development and improvement of the concept in the Republic of Moldova. Methodology. The research methodology involved studying the works of both foreign and domestic researchers, as well as reports from international institutions like the European Commission. Additionally, databases from organizations such as OECD on competition are analyzed. Various methods, including analysis, synthesis, abstraction, concretization, and structural and dynamic comparisons, were employed to identify the framework of the potential competition based on the experiences of other countries in addressing competition issues. Results. The paper examines the definition and main characteristics of potential competition provided by academics and studies performed by competition authorities, with an emphasis on features of potential competition in digital markets. The paper underlines the importance of considering the experiences of the EU in this field, particularly in the context of the reevaluation of EU competition policy under the influence of digitalization.