2026

Real

<h2 id="germany-and-france-lead-mica-licensing-race">Germany and France Lead MiCA Licensing Race</h2>
<p>The EU had issued 244 Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) licenses as of June 29, according to data from the ESMA interim register. Germany leads the rollout with 57 licenses, followed by France with 26. Together, the two countries account for more than one third of all licenses issued across the bloc.</p>
<p>The figures arrive just days before a critical regulatory threshold. The MiCA transitional period officially expires across the EU on July 1, 2026, after which any entity providing crypto-asset services without a MiCA license will be in breach of EU law and must cease operations.</p>
<h2 id="a-hard-deadline-with-real-consequences">A Hard Deadline With Real Consequences</h2>
<p>The July 1 cutoff marks the end of an 18-month grandfathering window that allowed firms already operating under national regimes before December 30, 2024, to continue trading while they applied for full MiCA authorization. Europe was thought to have had more than 3,000 registered virtual asset service providers as of 2024, meaning the vast majority of previously registered firms have not converted to a MiCA license. As many as 80% of Europe's crypto companies are expected to lose their registration status and face probable closure.</p>
<p>For those that miss the cut, the consequences are severe. CASPs operating without authorization can face fines, cease-and-desist orders, and bans on EU operations. ESMA has also called on unauthorized firms to implement orderly wind-down plans and protect client assets ahead of the deadline.</p>
<p>One key benefit driving the licensing push is passporting. A CASP license issued by a single EU member state grants a firm the right to operate across all 27 EU countries and the broader European Economic Area, removing the need for separate national approvals in each market.</p>
<p><strong>Sources:</strong><br><a href="https://www.esma.europa.eu/esmas-activities/digital-finance-and-innovation/markets-crypto-assets-regulation-mica" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">ESMA: Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA)</a><br><a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/mica-licenses-cluster-germany-total-reach-244" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">CoinTelegraph: Germany Leads MiCA Crypto Licensing Race Across Europe</a></p>

EU Issues 244 MiCA Licenses Ahead Of July Deadline

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