Regulations

Story: EU Issues 230 MiCA Licenses as Germany Leads Crypto Approvals Across the Bloc

By Julie Binoche

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Germany Leads, Others Follow. Germany's position at the top of the license count isn't accidental.

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What Compliance Actually Means Now. For firms that do want to stay, compliance with MiCA is non-negotiable.

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Firms Without Licenses Face Pressure. The coming months will sort out who adapted and who didn't.

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The EU has handed out roughly 230 crypto licenses. And the window to operate without one is now shut.

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The Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation — MiCA, for short — has officially moved past its transitional phase, meaning any crypto firm still running inside the EU without a…

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Germany's position at the top of the license count isn't accidental. The country has spent years building out a regulated crypto infrastructure, and its financial supervisory…

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Roughly 230 licenses sounds like a big number. It's not, really — not when you consider how many crypto entities have been operating across the EU's 27 member states.

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Unlicensed firms are reportedly preparing to exit the EU market rather than go through the licensing process.

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For firms that do want to stay, compliance with MiCA is non-negotiable. The regulation covers crypto-asset service providers, stablecoin issuers, and a range of other digital…

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Related: EU Eyes MiCA Overhaul as MEPs Push to Bring DeFi and NFTs Under Brussels Rules

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The consumer protection angle is real. MiCA forces firms to be transparent about risks, maintain adequate reserves where required, and meet standards that frankly didn't exist in…

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Stablecoin issuers in particular have been under close watch. MiCA's rules around asset-referenced tokens and e-money tokens are among the most detailed in the framework, and…

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The coming months will sort out who adapted and who didn't. Firms that moved early — getting applications in, working with national regulators, adjusting their product structures…

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It's worth noting that MiCA doesn't operate in a vacuum. The EU's broader push toward digital finance regulation, including rules around digital operational resilience and…

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Read also: Spain Kills MiCA Deadline Extensions as Carlos San Basilio Draws Hard Line

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