Crypto licence in 2026: where and how to get one
Which crypto licence your activity and market need: MiCA CASP in the EU, FCA in the UK, money transmitter licences and the BitLicense in the USA, registration with the FSA in Japan.
Short answer
A crypto licence is an authorisation from the regulator of the market where your clients are. In the EU it is one MiCA CASP authorisation: own funds of € 50 000, € 125 000 or € 150 000 by service class and 25 + 40 working days for the regulator’s review. The UK, the US, New York, Canada and Japan run their own regimes.
Which licence does your model need? We map your services onto the regimes below and give you a plan with costs and timeline. Consultation: 30 min — €100.
A crypto licence in 2026 is an authorisation from the financial regulator of the market you serve. In the European Union it is a MiCA CASP authorisation from a national competent authority, valid across the EEA. In the UK the regulator is the FCA; in the US, FinCEN registration plus state money transmitter licences; in Canada, MSB registration with FINTRAC; in Japan, registration with the FSA; in Singapore, a MAS licence. Blocons prepares the application, the AML/KYC framework and the documents the regulator reviews, and stays with you through the regulator's questions.
Where a crypto licence is issued now
- European Union, MiCA: one CASP authorisation under Regulation (EU) 2023/1114, then a notification to serve clients in other member states. How the regime works and how to choose a country: MiCA CASP licence in the EU.
- Estonia: CASP authorisation from Finantsinspektsioon. Crypto licence in Estonia; what ended on 1 July 2026 and how to check a firm: Estonian crypto licence register.
- Malta: CASP authorisation from the MFSA. Crypto licence in Malta.
- Lithuania: CASP authorisation from the Bank of Lithuania. Crypto licence in Lithuania.
- United Kingdom: FCA. Crypto licence in the UK.
- United States: FinCEN MSB registration and money transmitter licences state by state: Money Transmitter License (MTL). New York requires a BitLicense from NYDFS: crypto licence in New York.
- Canada: MSB registration with FINTRAC for dealing in virtual currency. MSB registration in Canada.
- Japan: registration with the Financial Services Agency as a crypto-asset exchange service provider. Crypto licence in Japan.
- Singapore: licence from the Monetary Authority of Singapore under the Payment Services Act. Singapore.
Crypto licence by activity: exchange, custody, broker
Regulators license what you do with crypto-assets. The same business can need a different authorisation in each market, so start from the activity and then pick the market.
Crypto exchange licence
An exchange that swaps crypto-assets for money or for other crypto-assets is licensed in every market we cover. A bitcoin or crypto trading licence is the same authorisation under another name.
- EU, MiCA: exchange of crypto-assets for funds or for other crypto-assets is a CASP service with own funds of € 125 000; operating a trading platform needs € 150 000. Countries: Estonia, Malta, Lithuania; the regime as a whole: MiCA CASP licence.
- United Kingdom: dealing in cryptoassets as principal or agent and operating a cryptoasset trading platform become FCA-regulated activities; the application window runs from 30 September 2026 to 28 February 2027. Crypto licence in the UK.
- United States: under FinCEN guidance FIN-2019-G001, exchangers of convertible virtual currency generally qualify as money transmitters: FinCEN MSB registration plus money transmitter licences (MTL) state by state. In New York, buying and selling virtual currency as a customer business needs a BitLicense.
- Japan: buying, selling or exchanging crypto-assets as a business requires FSA registration as a crypto-asset exchange service provider, with capital of at least ¥10 million. Crypto licence in Japan.
Custody and wallet licence
A wallet that holds crypto-assets or private keys for clients is a custody business. Regulators treat it as a licensed service and check segregation of client assets, the custody policy and key management.
- EU, MiCA: custody and administration of crypto-assets on behalf of clients is a CASP service in the € 125 000 own-funds class.
- United Kingdom: safeguarding, that is cryptoasset custody, becomes an FCA-regulated activity under the new regime.
- New York: storing, holding or maintaining custody or control of virtual currency on behalf of others is virtual currency business activity (23 NYCRR 200.2); developing and distributing software alone is not.
- Japan: managing crypto-assets on behalf of others is one of the crypto-asset exchange services that need FSA registration (Payment Services Act, Article 2).
Broker and trading licence
A crypto broker that receives, transmits or executes client orders needs the lightest MiCA class. Holding client assets or trading against your own book moves the business into a higher class.
- EU, MiCA: reception and transmission of orders, execution of orders on behalf of clients, placing, advice and portfolio management sit in the € 50 000 class; adding custody or exchange raises own funds to € 125 000.
- United Kingdom: arranging deals in cryptoassets and dealing as agent are among the activities the FCA will authorise.
- Japan: acting as an intermediary, broker or agent in crypto-asset trades requires FSA registration.
What changed for EU crypto licences
MiCA has applied to crypto-asset service providers since 30 December 2024. National registers such as the Estonian and Lithuanian VASP regimes and the Maltese VFA licence were allowed to run only for a transitional period, which ended on 1 July 2026 at the latest. A company that still relies on a national VASP registration needs a CASP authorisation to keep serving EU clients.
Minimum capital under MiCA (Annex IV) depends on the services you provide: € 50 000 for advice, portfolio management, order execution, reception and transmission of orders, placing and transfer services; € 125 000 when you add custody or exchange of crypto-assets; € 150 000 for operating a trading platform. The requirement is the higher of this amount and one quarter of the previous year's fixed overheads (Article 67).
Crypto licence by market: regulator, timeline, fee or capital
Only figures set by law or published by the regulator; each country page names the source.
| Market | Regulator and regime | Regulator’s timeline | Fee or capital |
|---|---|---|---|
| European Union | National competent authority, MiCA CASP authorisation | 25 working days for completeness, 40 for the decision | Own funds € 50 000 / 125 000 / 150 000 by class |
| Estonia | Finantsinspektsioon, MiCA CASP | MiCA clock, 25 + 40 working days | Processing fee € 3 000, plus MiCA own funds |
| Malta | MFSA, MiCA CASP | MiCA clock, 25 + 40 working days | MFSA fee schedule, plus MiCA own funds |
| Lithuania | Bank of Lithuania, MiCA CASP | MiCA clock, 25 + 40 working days | Bank of Lithuania fee rules, plus MiCA own funds |
| United Kingdom | FCA, new regime expected from 25 October 2027 | Application window 30 September 2026 – 28 February 2027 | FCA fee schedule, by the permissions sought |
| United States | FinCEN MSB registration plus state money transmitter licences; MTMA enacted in full or in part by 35 states (CSBS, 8 October 2026) | 120 days after a complete application in states that follow the MTMA | MTMA model law: tangible net worth from $100 000, surety bond from $100 000 up to $500 000 per state |
| New York | NYDFS BitLicense | 90 days after a complete application, extendable | Application fee $5 000, not refunded; capital set for each licensee |
| Japan | FSA registration | Set by the FSA | Capital at least ¥10 million, net assets not negative |
How much a crypto licence costs
The budget has three parts. The regulator’s part is set by law and is the same for every applicant in a market; substance and our work depend on your model.
- Regulator’s money. EU own funds of € 50 000, 125 000 or 150 000 by class, or a quarter of last year’s fixed overheads if that is higher; in Estonia a processing fee of € 3 000; in New York a $5 000 application fee; in Japan capital of ¥10 million; in US states that follow the MTMA a net worth from $100 000 and a surety bond from $100 000 per state; in the UK the FCA fee for the permissions you apply for.
- Substance. Resident management, an office and staff in the country of authorisation. These differ by country far more than the fees do, and they take the longest to arrange.
- Our work. Consultation, 30 min — €100; written opinion — from €200. The project fee is quoted in writing after the review of your model.
Timeline in the EU: the regulator’s clock is 25 + 40 working days, and preparing a fileable application usually takes three to six months. Our clients typically plan four to twelve months from the first call; the exact figure depends on the case.
Want the figures for your own model? Tell us what you do with crypto-assets and where your clients are. You get the regime, the capital class and a written plan. Consultation: 30 min — €100; written opinion — from €200.
Check a crypto licence before you sign
For the EU, ESMA’s interim MiCA register lists every authorised crypto-asset service provider. On 30 October 2026 its CASP file held 392 records from 27 countries of the European Economic Area: Germany 122, Malta 23, Spain 16, Lithuania 6, Finland 5 with FIN-FSA as the authority, Estonia 3. The full count by country: CASP records by country. How to read a record and where the national registers are: MiCA CASP register: how to check a crypto firm. In Canada, money services businesses register with FINTRAC: MSB registration in Canada.
Source: ESMA, interim MiCA register, CASP file downloaded on 30 October 2026.
How we work
- Business model review at a consultation (30 min — €100; written — from €200): which services you plan (custody, exchange, trading platform, transfers, advice) and where your clients are.
- Choice of jurisdiction and service class, with the reasons in writing.
- Company structure, management, capital plan, AML/KYC policies and the business plan the regulator expects.
- Filing the application and answering the regulator's questions.
- Support after authorisation: reporting, AML procedures, changes to the licence.
Our fee is quoted in writing after the review, because an advisory-only licence and a platform with custody differ in scope several times over. Request a review · €100.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I get a crypto licence?
- Start from where your clients are and what you do with crypto-assets. In the EU you apply to the national competent authority of one member state under Article 62 of MiCA and passport the authorisation to the others by notification. In the UK you apply to the FCA; in the US you register with FinCEN and obtain licences state by state; in Japan you register with the FSA.
- How much does a crypto licence cost?
- The regulatory part is set by law: in the EU own funds of € 50 000, 125 000 or 150 000 by service class plus national fees, such as the Estonian processing fee of € 3 000; in New York an application fee of $5 000; in Japan capital of at least ¥10 million. Our fee is quoted in writing after a consultation (30 min — €100; written — from €200).
- Is a bitcoin licence different from a crypto licence?
- A bitcoin business needs the same licence as any other crypto business: regulators license the activity, such as custody, exchange, transfers or a trading platform, and bitcoin is a crypto-asset. In New York the licence is called a BitLicense and covers virtual currency business activity.
- Which crypto licence is fastest?
- The statutory clocks we can cite are 25 plus 40 working days under MiCA and 90 days after a complete application in New York. Preparing a fileable application usually takes our clients longer than the review itself, so the completeness of the file on day one decides most of the timeline.
- Where can I check whether a firm holds a crypto licence?
- For the EU, in ESMA’s interim MiCA register and the register of the home regulator: MiCA CASP register: how to check a crypto firm. For the UK, in the FCA Financial Services Register.
- What is a crypto licence?
- A crypto licence is the authorisation a business needs from a financial regulator to provide crypto-asset services, such as exchange, custody, transfers or a trading platform, to clients in its market. In the EU it is a MiCA CASP authorisation; in New York, a BitLicense; in Japan, registration with the FSA.
- What licence does a crypto exchange need?
- In the EU, a CASP authorisation for exchange of crypto-assets (own funds € 125 000) or for operating a trading platform (€ 150 000). In the US, FinCEN MSB registration and state money transmitter licences, plus a BitLicense for New York. In Japan, FSA registration; in the UK, FCA authorisation under the new regime.
- Do I need a licence for a crypto wallet or a crypto brokerage?
- If you hold crypto-assets or keys for clients, yes: custody is a licensed service under MiCA (own funds € 125 000), in New York and in Japan, and becomes one in the UK. A broker that receives, transmits or executes client orders needs a CASP authorisation in the € 50 000 class, or a higher class if it also holds client assets.
Ready to start? Send a short description of the business and target markets. We reply with the regime, the regulator and the next step.
Reviewed: 30 October 2026, against Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA), ESMA’s interim MiCA register, the FCA pages on the new cryptoasset regime, 23 NYCRR Part 200, the MTMA model law and Japan’s Payment Services Act, as cited on the country pages.