Regulations

Story: Germany Dominates Crypto Licensing with 89 Providers While FCA Struggles to Keep Up

By Sakamoto Nashi

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The UK's Very Different Reality. Across the Channel, things look pretty different. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority only…

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What the Numbers Actually Mean. Eighty-nine licensed providers versus a licensing process that hasn't even opened yet.

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Germany vs. UK: The Broader Picture. Within Europe, the contrast is sharp. Germany moved fast on MiCA, got companies authorized early,…

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Germany isn't messing around. The country now has 89 licensed crypto-asset service providers, and it's not slowing down anytime soon.

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The European Securities and Markets Authority's MiCA register puts Germany at 25.5% of all listed companies — basically a quarter of the entire EU's registered crypto universe…

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Germany's largest bank has plans to launch crypto custody solutions for institutional clients. Regulatory approval is still pending — expected in October — but the intent is clear.

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Across the Channel, things look pretty different. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority only recently lifted its ban on crypto exchange-traded products — a move that, in Germany's…

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Licensing applications open September 30. Firms have until February 28, 2027, to apply for transitional arrangements before the new regime officially kicks in on October 25, 2027.

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The FCA hasn't been idle, to be fair. It sent cease-and-desist letters to three London locations suspected of facilitating illegal crypto trading.

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Read also: FCAs New Guidance Reveals Complexities Ahead of UK Crypto Authorization Window

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It's probably not fair to call the UK's approach wrong. The FCA's careful sequencing — guidance first, then licensing, then a structured transition period — could produce a…

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Family offices and wealth managers in Germany aren't waiting to see how London sorts itself out. They've already moved.

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The FCA's guidance on when crypto activities need authorization was a necessary step. Clarity matters.

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Within Europe, the contrast is sharp. Germany moved fast on MiCA, got companies authorized early, and created conditions where major banks felt comfortable building crypto…

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Read also: Deutsche Bank Launches Crypto Custody for Institutions with $1.7 Trillion Backbone

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