Crypto license: MiCA authorization, VASP licenses and costs
A crypto license is the authorization or registration a regulator gives a company to exchange, hold, broker or transfer crypto-assets for clients.
- MiCA capital: €50,000 to €150,000 by class
- A MiCA decision within 40 working days of a complete file
- Eleven regimes, each with its sources
What a crypto license is and who needs one
Under MiCA it is a CASP authorization; outside the EU, usually a VASP license. It takes a company, capital (€50,000 to €150,000 under MiCA), fit-and-proper managers, custody controls and, in the EU, a decision within 40 working days of a complete file.
You need one to exchange crypto-assets for money or for other crypto-assets, hold them for clients, run a trading platform, place or transmit orders, advise, manage portfolios or transfer crypto-assets. MiCA lists these services and sets one rulebook for every member state. Its transitional period ended on 1 July 2026 at the latest, so a firm serving EU clients now needs the authorization itself; a national registration no longer covers it. Outside the EU, Dubai's VARA licenses each activity separately, and Seychelles brought wallets, exchanges, broking and investment services under license in 2024. The UK registers crypto businesses for anti-money-laundering supervision until FCA authorization under FSMA starts on 25 October 2027.
What it takes: 1. A company with its registered office and effective management in the licensing state; in Dubai, VARA's Approval to Incorporate comes before the company. 2. Capital by service: €50,000, €125,000 or €150,000 under MiCA, or a quarter of the previous year's fixed overheads if that is higher. 3. Fit-and-proper owners and managers, with at least one director resident in the EU for a MiCA authorization. 4. Segregated client crypto-assets and funds, a custody policy and key management. 5. An anti-money-laundering program with the travel rule, ICT risk management (DORA in the EU), complaints handling and a wind-down plan.
What it costs: capital runs from US$25,000 (Seychelles, by activity) to HK$5,000,000 paid up for a trading platform in Hong Kong. Under MiCA it is €50,000 for orders, advice and transfers, €125,000 with custody and exchange, and €150,000 with a trading platform. Dubai asks AED 100,000 for advisory up to AED 1,500,000 for an exchange without a VARA-licensed custodian; Singapore asks S$100,000 or S$250,000 of base capital. Fees come on top. VARA charges AED 40,000 or AED 100,000 to apply, plus annual supervision. Seychelles charges SCR 75,000 to apply, then an annual base fee of SCR 75,000 plus SCR 75,000 to SCR 375,000 by activity. The EU regulators set their own fees.
Time frame: from 40 working days after a complete MiCA file in Cyprus, Malta or Lithuania to no published deadline in Dubai. MiCA gives the regulator 25 working days to check that a file is complete and 40 from a complete file to decide, with up to 20 more while a request for information is open. VARA works in two stages: an Approval to Incorporate, then the full license after the review and interviews. The other regulators in our table publish no statutory deadline either. (Hint: for EU clients, one MiCA authorization reaches every member state after a notification; an offshore license does not.)
Crypto license by country: MiCA, VASP and VARA
Eleven regimes: MiCA in Cyprus, Malta and Lithuania; the UK's FCA; Dubai's VARA; the VASP laws of Seychelles, Mauritius, the BVI and Cayman; Hong Kong's SFC and Singapore's MAS. Open one for the capital, the fees, what the license allows and the sources.
| Country | Regulator | Minimum capital | Government fees | Time frame | Last reviewed | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open details forCyprus | CySEC (MiCA) | €50,000 to €150,000 | CySEC fees | Decision within 40 working days of a complete application (statutory) | 2026-11-11 | |
| Open details forMalta | MFSA (MiCA) | €50,000 to €150,000 | MFSA fees | Decision within 40 working days of a complete application (statutory) | 2026-11-11 | |
| Open details forLithuania | Bank of Lithuania (MiCA) | €50,000 to €150,000 | Bank of Lithuania fees | Decision within 40 working days of a complete application (statutory) | 2026-11-11 | |
| Open details forUnited Kingdom | FCA | Set by the incoming regime | FCA application fee | Ask us | 2026-11-14 | |
| Open details forDubai (UAE) | VARA | AED 100,000 to AED 1,500,000 by activity | AED 40,000 to AED 100,000 application, plus annual supervision | Ask us | 2026-11-11 | |
| Open details forSeychelles | FSA Seychelles | US$25,000 to US$100,000 by activity | SCR 75,000 application; annual base SCR 75,000 plus an activity fee | Ask us | 2026-11-11 | |
| Open details forMauritius | FSC Mauritius | Set by FSC rules per class | FSC processing and annual fees | Ask us | 2026-11-11 | |
| Open details forBritish Virgin Islands | BVI FSC | Adequate to the risk | FSC registration fees | Ask us | 2026-11-11 | |
| Open details forCayman Islands | CIMA | Set by CIMA | Per CIMA's fee schedule | Ask us | 2026-11-11 | |
| Open details forHong Kong | SFC | HK$5,000,000 paid-up capital | SFC application and annual fees | Ask us | 2026-11-11 | |
| Open details forSingapore | MAS | S$100,000 or S$250,000 base capital | MAS application and annual fees | Ask us | 2026-11-11 |
Cyprus
An EU-wide passport for exchange, custody, brokerage and trading-platform services, authorized in Cyprus under MiCA.
- Regulator
- Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)
- Authorization
- Crypto-asset service provider (CASP), MiCA Articles 59 to 63
- Initial capital
- €50,000, €125,000 or €150,000 by class (Annex IV)
- Statutory review
- 25 working days (completeness) + 40 working days (assessment)
- Passport
- EU and EEA
What the authorization allows
A crypto-asset service provider (CASP) authorized under MiCA may offer custody and administration, operate a trading platform, exchange crypto-assets for funds or other crypto-assets, execute, place, receive and transmit orders, advise and manage portfolios, and provide transfer services, for clients across the EU and EEA after a notification to each host state.
Which capital class applies
MiCA Annex IV sets three classes: €50,000 for Class 1 (orders, placing, transfer, advice, portfolio management), €125,000 for Class 2 (adds custody and exchange) and €150,000 for Class 3 (adds operating a trading platform), or one quarter of the previous year's fixed overheads if that is higher (Article 67). The same amounts apply in every member state.
Requirements
- A company with its registered office and effective management in the member state
- Fit-and-proper owners and managers; at least one director resident in the EU
- Prudential safeguards: own funds or an insurance policy, and a wind-down plan
- Segregation of clients' crypto-assets and funds; custody policy and key management
- Governance, ICT risk management (DORA), complaints handling, conflicts of interest and market-abuse controls
- Anti-money-laundering program and the transfer-of-funds (travel) rule
Documents
- The program of operations: services, target markets, marketing and projections
- Policies: custody, segregation, ICT and security, business continuity, AML, complaints, conflicts
- Evidence of the initial capital and of its source
- Good-repute evidence for shareholders, directors and key staff
Steps and timeline
The competent authority has 25 working days to confirm the application is complete, then 40 working days to assess it; a request for information can pause the clock for up to 20 working days (Article 63).
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Malta
Malta carried its 2018 virtual financial assets regime into MiCA; the MFSA is one of the EU's most experienced crypto supervisors.
- Regulator
- Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA)
- Authorization
- Crypto-asset service provider (CASP), MiCA Articles 59 to 63
- Initial capital
- €50,000, €125,000 or €150,000 by class (Annex IV)
- Statutory review
- 25 working days (completeness) + 40 working days (assessment)
- Passport
- EU and EEA
What the authorization allows
A crypto-asset service provider (CASP) authorized under MiCA may offer custody and administration, operate a trading platform, exchange crypto-assets for funds or other crypto-assets, execute, place, receive and transmit orders, advise and manage portfolios, and provide transfer services, for clients across the EU and EEA after a notification to each host state.
Which capital class applies
MiCA Annex IV sets three classes: €50,000 for Class 1 (orders, placing, transfer, advice, portfolio management), €125,000 for Class 2 (adds custody and exchange) and €150,000 for Class 3 (adds operating a trading platform), or one quarter of the previous year's fixed overheads if that is higher (Article 67). The same amounts apply in every member state.
Requirements
- A company with its registered office and effective management in the member state
- Fit-and-proper owners and managers; at least one director resident in the EU
- Prudential safeguards: own funds or an insurance policy, and a wind-down plan
- Segregation of clients' crypto-assets and funds; custody policy and key management
- Governance, ICT risk management (DORA), complaints handling, conflicts of interest and market-abuse controls
- Anti-money-laundering program and the transfer-of-funds (travel) rule
Documents
- The program of operations: services, target markets, marketing and projections
- Policies: custody, segregation, ICT and security, business continuity, AML, complaints, conflicts
- Evidence of the initial capital and of its source
- Good-repute evidence for shareholders, directors and key staff
Steps and timeline
The competent authority has 25 working days to confirm the application is complete, then 40 working days to assess it; a request for information can pause the clock for up to 20 working days (Article 63).
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Lithuania
A fintech-minded supervisor with a large population of licensed EMIs and payment firms, now authorizing CASPs under MiCA.
- Regulator
- Bank of Lithuania
- Authorization
- Crypto-asset service provider (CASP), MiCA Articles 59 to 63
- Initial capital
- €50,000, €125,000 or €150,000 by class (Annex IV)
- Statutory review
- 25 working days (completeness) + 40 working days (assessment)
- Passport
- EU and EEA
What the authorization allows
A crypto-asset service provider (CASP) authorized under MiCA may offer custody and administration, operate a trading platform, exchange crypto-assets for funds or other crypto-assets, execute, place, receive and transmit orders, advise and manage portfolios, and provide transfer services, for clients across the EU and EEA after a notification to each host state.
Which capital class applies
MiCA Annex IV sets three classes: €50,000 for Class 1 (orders, placing, transfer, advice, portfolio management), €125,000 for Class 2 (adds custody and exchange) and €150,000 for Class 3 (adds operating a trading platform), or one quarter of the previous year's fixed overheads if that is higher (Article 67). The same amounts apply in every member state.
Requirements
- A company with its registered office and effective management in the member state
- Fit-and-proper owners and managers; at least one director resident in the EU
- Prudential safeguards: own funds or an insurance policy, and a wind-down plan
- Segregation of clients' crypto-assets and funds; custody policy and key management
- Governance, ICT risk management (DORA), complaints handling, conflicts of interest and market-abuse controls
- Anti-money-laundering program and the transfer-of-funds (travel) rule
Documents
- The program of operations: services, target markets, marketing and projections
- Policies: custody, segregation, ICT and security, business continuity, AML, complaints, conflicts
- Evidence of the initial capital and of its source
- Good-repute evidence for shareholders, directors and key staff
Steps and timeline
The competent authority has 25 working days to confirm the application is complete, then 40 working days to assess it; a request for information can pause the clock for up to 20 working days (Article 63).
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
United Kingdom
Registration until 25 October 2027, then FCA authorization: applications opened on 30 September 2026 and are due by 28 February 2027.
- Regulator
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
- Today
- Registration as a cryptoasset business under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, until the new regime starts on 25 October 2027
- Coming
- FCA authorization under FSMA (the Cryptoassets Regulations 2026) from 25 October 2027; applications opened on 30 September 2026 and are due by 28 February 2027
- Market
- United Kingdom
What the license allows
A UK crypto business today registers with the FCA for anti-money-laundering supervision and follows the financial promotions rules. From 25 October 2027, exchanges, custodians, dealers and stablecoin issuers need FCA authorization under FSMA, with capital, conduct and resilience rules. The FCA opened applications on 30 September 2026 and asks firms to apply by 28 February 2027; an MLR registration does not convert.
Requirements
- A UK company with its key management in the UK
- An MLRO and a financial-crime framework the FCA finds effective; the registration refusal rate has been high
- Financial promotions approved by an authorized person, with the risk warnings and cooling-off period
- Under the new regime: prudential, conduct, safeguarding and operational-resilience requirements by activity
Last reviewed: 2026-11-14
Dubai (UAE)
A regulator dedicated to virtual assets alone: eight licensable activities with published capital and fees, and a two-stage approval.
- Regulator
- Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), Dubai
- Activities
- Advisory, broker-dealer, custody, exchange, lending and borrowing, management and investment, transfer and settlement, issuance
- Paid-up capital
- AED 100,000 (advisory) to AED 1,500,000 (exchange without a VARA-licensed custodian), or 15% to 25% of fixed annual overheads if higher
- Application fee
- AED 40,000 (advisory, transfer and settlement) or AED 100,000 (other activities), plus an annual supervision fee
- Scope
- Dubai, outside the DIFC
What the license allows
VARA licenses each virtual-asset activity separately under its own rulebook. A broker-dealer that uses a VARA-licensed custodian needs AED 400,000 of paid-up capital; an exchange that does, AED 800,000; custody, AED 600,000. Capital is held in a UAE bank trust account or a surety bond with VARA as beneficiary and reconciled monthly.
Requirements
- A Dubai company (mainland or free zone, outside the DIFC) with an office in Dubai
- Fit-and-proper owners and senior management; a compliance officer and MLRO
- Policies under the compulsory rulebooks: compliance and risk, market conduct, technology and information, and the activity rulebook
- Capital in a trust account or surety bond, per activity
Steps and timeline
Two stages: an Approval to Incorporate lets you set up the company but not operate; the full VASP license follows the review of the complete application, interviews and the payment of the remaining fees. Conditions may attach before go-live.
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Seychelles
A new, complete licensing regime for wallets, exchanges, brokers and investment providers, with fees published in rupees and modest capital.
- Regulator
- Financial Services Authority (FSA)
- Law
- Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2024 (in force 1 September 2024)
- Licenses
- Wallet provider, exchange, broking, investment provider
- Fees
- SCR 75,000 application (SCR 22,500 for a registration); annual base fee SCR 75,000 plus SCR 75,000 to SCR 375,000 by activity
- Paid-up capital
- Set by the 2024 capital regulations: US$25,000 to US$100,000 by activity
What the license allows
The 2024 Act brought every virtual-asset service in Seychelles under license: wallets (custodial and non-custodial), exchanges, broking and investment services. Mining facilities, mixers and tumblers are prohibited. Firms that operated before the Act had to apply by 31 December 2024.
Requirements
- A Seychelles company with a physical office fit for inspections and record keeping
- A local compliance function: MLRO and deputy MLRO
- Paid-up capital held at a Seychelles bank or a Basel II-compliant institution approved by the FSA
- AML/CFT program and the FSA's institutional risk assessment
- Cyber-security, custody and client-asset segregation arrangements
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Mauritius
A full FATF-aligned framework with five license classes, administered by the same commission that licenses investment dealers.
- Regulator
- Financial Services Commission (FSC)
- Law
- Virtual Asset and Initial Token Offering Services Act 2021
- Classes
- M (broker-dealer), O (wallet services), R (custodian), I (marketplace), S (advisory)
- Company
- A Mauritius company, usually a Global Business Company
What the license allows
Mauritius was among the first to legislate the FATF virtual-asset standards in full. Each class of service has its own license, capital and conduct rules; a marketplace (Class I) and a custodian (Class R) carry the heaviest requirements.
Requirements
- Fit-and-proper owners and officers; two Mauritius-resident directors for a GBC
- A compliance officer, MLRO and deputy MLRO
- Capital and insurance as the FSC rules set per class
- Custody, cyber-security and client-asset segregation standards
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
British Virgin Islands
Registration under the 2022 VASP Act, often beside a SIBA license in the same group.
- Regulator
- BVI Financial Services Commission (FSC)
- Law
- Virtual Assets Service Providers Act 2022 (in force 1 February 2023)
- Form
- Registration with the FSC, separate from SIBA
What the registration allows
Exchanges, custodians and other virtual-asset service providers register with the FSC under the 2022 Act, a regime distinct from securities investment business. A group that offers both CFDs and crypto needs both.
Requirements
- A BVI company with an authorized representative
- Fit-and-proper directors and owners; a compliance officer and MLRO
- Policies for AML/CFT, custody, cyber-security and client assets
- Capital and insurance adequate to the business
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Cayman Islands
An institutional center for token funds and exchanges, with registration first and licensing for custody and platforms.
- Regulator
- Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA)
- Law
- Virtual Asset (Service Providers) Act
- Form
- Registration for most services; a license for custodians and trading platforms in the second phase
What the registration allows
Cayman phased its regime: registration first, then licensing for custody and trading platforms. Fund-related token issuers and exchanges serving institutional clients are the typical applicants.
Requirements
- A Cayman company with a registered office
- Fit-and-proper owners and directors; AML officers
- Cyber-security, custody and client-asset arrangements CIMA finds adequate
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Hong Kong
A premium Asian license for exchanges that want retail investors, with high custody standards and HK$5,000,000 of paid-up capital.
- Regulator
- Securities and Futures Commission (SFC)
- License
- Virtual asset trading platform (VATP) under the AMLO, with SFO Type 1 and Type 7 licenses for security tokens
- Capital
- Paid-up share capital of at least HK$5,000,000 and liquid capital of at least HK$3,000,000
- Clients
- Retail allowed, with suitability and product checks
What the license allows
A licensed platform may admit retail investors to large-cap tokens, subject to suitability, and must keep 98% of client assets in cold storage through a wholly owned subsidiary, with insurance or compensation arrangements.
Requirements
- A Hong Kong company with responsible officers approved by the SFC
- A Hong Kong custody subsidiary and the SFC's custody, cyber-security and key-management standards
- Token admission committee and due diligence; market surveillance
- External assessment reports before and after licensing
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
Singapore
Crypto services sit inside Singapore's payment-services regime: a demanding but globally respected license for exchanges and custodians.
- Regulator
- Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)
- License
- Standard or Major Payment Institution license for digital payment token services (Payment Services Act 2019)
- Base capital
- S$100,000 (standard) or S$250,000 (major), plus a security deposit for a major institution
- Management
- At least one executive director resident in Singapore
What the license allows
Buying, selling, exchanging, transferring and safeguarding digital payment tokens are licensable payment services in Singapore. MAS discourages retail speculation: no incentives, no credit, and risk-awareness tests for retail customers.
Requirements
- A Singapore company with a permanent place of business
- Fit-and-proper directors and controllers; a resident executive director
- Segregation of customer assets in trust; 90% of customer assets in cold storage
- Technology risk management and AML/CFT notices
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
MiCA license or VASP license: the tiers
Where your clients are decides the tier; the capital and the custody rules follow from it.
EU (MiCA)
- Regulators
- CySEC (Cyprus), MFSA (Malta), Bank of Lithuania
- Capital
- €50,000 to €150,000 by class
- Time frame
- 25 working days to check completeness; a decision within 40 working days of a complete file (statutory)
- Clients
- The whole EU and EEA after a notification
- Verdict
- The route for EU clients; the rules match across member states, so the choice is the regulator.
Dubai (VARA)
- Regulators
- VARA, for Dubai outside the DIFC
- Capital
- AED 100,000 to AED 1,500,000 by activity
- Time frame
- Two stages: Approval to Incorporate, then the full license
- Clients
- Dubai, outside the DIFC
- Verdict
- A regulator for virtual assets alone, with each activity licensed and capitalized separately.
Asian hubs
- Regulators
- SFC (Hong Kong), MAS (Singapore)
- Capital
- HK$5,000,000 paid up (Hong Kong); S$100,000 or S$250,000 (Singapore)
- Time frame
- Ask us
- Clients
- The home market; retail with suitability (Hong Kong) or risk-awareness (Singapore) checks
- Verdict
- For exchanges that want Asian investors and can meet strict custody standards.
Offshore VASP laws
- Regulators
- Seychelles, Mauritius, BVI, Cayman
- Capital
- US$25,000 to US$100,000 by activity (Seychelles); adequate to the risk (BVI)
- Time frame
- Ask us
- Clients
- International, except markets that require a local license
- Verdict
- Lower capital and lighter recognition; not a route to EU clients.
United Kingdom
- Regulators
- FCA
- Capital
- Set by the incoming regime
- Time frame
- Ask us
- Clients
- United Kingdom
- Verdict
- Registration until 25 October 2027; apply for FCA authorization by 28 February 2027.
Sources
- Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 on markets in crypto-assets (MiCA), EUR-Lex
- CySEC (crypto-asset service providers under MiCAR)
- MFSA
- Bank of Lithuania
- FCA: cryptoassets (registration and the new regime)
- FCA: how the gateway will operate (3 November 2026)
- The Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/102 (legislation.gov.uk)
- VARA Company Rulebook: paid-up capital
- VARA Rulebook: Schedule 2, supervision and authorization fees
- FSA Seychelles: VASP FAQs (fees and capital regulations)
- Virtual Asset Service Providers Act 2024
- Legalaes: Seychelles VASP license summary (capital by license type)
- FSC Mauritius (Virtual Asset and Initial Token Offering Services Act 2021)
- BVI Financial Services Commission
- CIMA: virtual asset service providers
- SFC: virtual asset trading platform operators (updated 16 January 2025)
- MAS: payment services regulation
Last reviewed: 2026-11-11
What a crypto regulator checks
MiCA, VARA and the VASP laws ask the same questions in different forms.
- Who owns and runs the company: fit-and-proper owners and managers, and for MiCA at least one director resident in the EU
- Where client assets sit: segregation, the custody policy and who controls the keys
- How the platform is secured: ICT risk management, cyber-security and business continuity
- How money laundering is stopped: the AML program, the travel rule and the risk assessment
- How the firm would close: a wind-down plan, and own funds or an insurance policy
- How it markets: financial promotions with risk warnings; in the UK an authorized person approves them
- Which tokens it lists: in Hong Kong, a token admission committee and due diligence
Who does what in a crypto license application
What we do
- Map each service you plan to its MiCA class, VARA activity or VASP license type
- Draft the program of operations and the custody, ICT and AML policies with you
- Prepare the notification your home regulator forwards to each EU host state
- Answer the regulator's questions until it decides
- Prepare the bank and custody account applications that follow the license
What you provide
- Capital for the class or activity, with evidence of its source
- Directors and managers with the experience the regulator expects
- The technology: wallets, key management and the platform's security documentation
- A decision on custody: in house or through a licensed custodian
How to get a crypto license: the order of the setup
The services come first, because they decide everything the regulator reads.
- 1List the servicesWhat you will do with clients' crypto-assets decides the class, the capital and the regulator.
- 2Form the companyMiCA wants the registered office and effective management in the licensing state, so the company is formed there. In Dubai, VARA's Approval to Incorporate comes first.
- 3Apply for the licenseThe regulator reviews the people, the capital, the custody setup and the policies together, against the program of operations.
- 4Open bank and custody accountsBanks and custodians review the license before they take on a crypto business, so the accounts follow it.
- 5Connect payments and launchPayment providers look at the license and the accounts before they process client funds, so payments come last.
Your choice, our commitment
Your business model
The structure follows how your business works and where it operates.
Your resources
We start from the documents and people you already have, and say clearly what is still needed.
Support
Questions about the company, the accounts and the license are handled in one conversation.
Clear next steps
You see what each step involves before you decide to go ahead.
Crypto license questions
Still have a question?
Talk to usWhat is the difference between a MiCA license and a VASP license?
A MiCA authorization is the EU's single license for crypto-asset service providers (CASPs): the same capital classes and rules in every member state, and a passport across the EU and EEA after a notification. VASP is the FATF's term, used by regimes outside the EU: Seychelles, the BVI, Cayman and others license or register virtual-asset service providers under their own laws, without that passport.
What is a CASP license?
CASP stands for crypto-asset service provider, the term MiCA uses. The authorization names the services you may offer, from transfers and advice to custody, exchange and a trading platform, and those services set your capital class.
How much does a crypto license cost?
Capital is the main cost and follows the services: the MiCA class, the VARA activity or the Seychelles license type. Fees come on top; VARA and the FSA in Seychelles publish theirs, and the EU regulators set their own. Every figure, with its source, is under What it costs above and in each row. Our own fees are set out after the consultation.
How long does a MiCA license take?
MiCA sets the clock in working days: a completeness check, then the assessment, with a pause while a request for information is open (Article 63). The clock starts only with a complete file, so the program of operations and the policies are written first.
Can I serve EU clients with an offshore crypto license?
Not as a market you target. MiCA requires an authorization to provide crypto-asset services in the EU; a firm outside it may serve an EU client only at that client's own exclusive initiative.
Does a crypto business need a license in the UK?
Today it registers with the FCA for anti-money-laundering supervision and follows the financial promotions rules. From 25 October 2027 exchanges, custodians, dealers and stablecoin issuers need FCA authorization; the FCA opened applications on 30 September 2026 and asks firms to apply by 28 February 2027.
Can one group offer crypto and CFDs?
Yes, though some places use two regimes for it: in the BVI, a group that offers both needs a securities investment license and a VASP registration. Ask us which licenses your mix of services requires in the country you choose.
Is a crypto license guaranteed?
No. The regulator decides, and refusals happen; the FCA's registration refusal rate has been high. We prepare the file so it answers what that regulator asks for.
Used in these setups
What comes next
Each service leads to the next: the structure, then the accounts, then the payments and the license.
