Since the beginning of January, 43 companies including Coinbase, Crypto.com and Kraken, have received this license which makes it possible to operate everywhere in Europe.
This week, the American Crypto Stock Exchange Kraken obtained European approval Mica (pour “Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation”), allowing to operate everywhere in Europe. The company obtained it from the central bank of Ireland, which for the first time issues such an approval. Since the beginning of January, companies can obtain this sesame from any European regulator.
According to the latest data available on the ESMA (European Financial Markets Authority) website, 43 Cryptos companies have obtained Mica approval. Two countries are champions in this area: the Netherlands with 15 licenses granted, followed by Germany with 12 licenses.
If the Netherlands have delivered approvals to Cryptos Societies of Middle Sizes, large actors like Commerzbank, Bitgo and Trade Republic chose the German regulator (La Bafin) to comply. It is interesting to note that the first European power, known for the intransigence of its regulator, attracts many companies.
Only two licenses in France
In third position, Malta (MFSA) granted approval to five players, including the giants Crypto.com and OKX. According to several experts, the Maltese regulator (MFSA) would show laxity in the issuance of European licenses. “We see from time to time to disembark on our market” products “approved by some of our colleagues with, say, a slightly fast pen,” said president of the French Financial Markets Authority (AMF), Marie-Anne Barbat-Layani, during a hearing in the Senate.
In Luxembourg, three licenses were granted to important players: Coinbase, Cleastream Banking and Bitstamp. In France, the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (the AMF) has only issued approval by two French actors, Deblock and Goin. Finally, Robinhood chose the Bank of Lithuania and Bitpanda and Bybit Austria to obtain their license. Two giants of cryptos are still lacking in the call: Binance and Kucoin.
New rules to respect
As a reminder, companies that want to offer Cryptos services in Europe have until June 2026 to obtain Mica approval. This European regulation is one of the first in the world to have emerged, while the United States is working to establish its own regulations, starting with that linked to Stablecoins, under the presidency of Donald Trump.
With Mica, from new rules incumbent on companies, ranging from obligations of “good conduct”, governance and management of interest conflicts to equity requirements. For example, companies must “warn” their customers of the risks associated with cryptos transactions as well as “comply with requirements” relating to the conservation of their assets, especially in the event of insolvency.
Similarly, the regulations intend to prevent market abuses, by prohibiting certain behaviors, such as “failures of initiates, the disclosure of privileged information and market manipulations”.
