End of the MiCA transitional period: how to check that a crypto provider is authorised

1 July 2026: the end of the transitional period

Regulation (EU) 2023/1114, known as MiCA, has been fully applicable since 30 December 2024. Its transitional period ended on 1 July 2026: since then, a crypto-asset service provider (CASP) must be authorised (art. 59) or notified (art. 60), a route reserved for certain financial entities that are already regulated.

Without one or the other, providing these services in the EU is illegal. A provider established outside the EU may not solicit clients there; the reverse-solicitation exception (art. 61) is interpreted strictly.

The market has tightened: in October 2026, some services are offline or insolvent, while others have suspended account openings, work by invitation only or serve businesses alone.

Step 1: look the provider up in the ESMA register

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) keeps an interim MiCA register, published as downloadable files, including the list of authorised crypto-asset service providers.

Search for the exact name of the legal entity, not the trading name: a brand may rely on one or more entities, one per service. Note the date of the file you consult and compare what you read with the provider’s contract.

When we consulted the register ourselves on 10 October 2026, several services well known to the public did not appear in it. A missing name is not proof of a breach in itself, since a service may not target EU clients, but it warrants questions before any deposit.

Step 2: check with the national authority

Authorisation is granted by the competent authority of the member state where the provider is established: check with that authority too. In France, the AMF publishes white lists, including one for crypto-asset service providers. In Belgium, the law of 11 December 2025 makes the FSMA responsible for authorising CASPs and the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) for their prudential supervision.

On 9 October 2026, the FSMA’s list of authorised Belgian CASPs was empty. Services provided in Belgium therefore rely on providers authorised in another member state, through the European passport. A foreign authorisation is nothing unusual; the absence of any authorisation is.

Finally, check that it really is an authorisation under MiCA. For the payment side (euro account, IBAN, transfers), the provider is a payment or electronic money institution: in Belgium, the NBB authorises them, and entities from the European Economic Area may use a passport.

Step 3: the questions to ask a crypto provider

A serious provider answers these questions in writing, before you entrust it with any funds; the articles cited are those of the MiCA regulation:

1. Which entity provides each service (conversion, euro account, transfers), and under which authorisation number? MiCA requires this to be disclosed (art. 59(5) and 70(4)).
2. What are the fees, all in? They must be published (art. 66(4)).
3. Is the firm price shown before you confirm? The pricing method is regulated (art. 77).
4. Who holds your euros, and under what status? E-money is safeguarded; it is not a deposit.
5. How do you file a complaint? A procedure is mandatory (art. 71).

What authorisation changes, and what it does not

Authorisation puts a provider under supervision and conduct rules: fair, clear and not misleading information, published fees, a firm price, complaint handling. That is a lot, but it is not everything.

It does not protect the value of your crypto-assets, which remain volatile. They are not covered by deposit guarantee or investor compensation schemes, and the protection offered by MiCA is limited. The European supervisory authorities have also published a joint warning on the risks of crypto-assets.

Nor does authorisation change anything about your tax obligations. Since 1 January 2026, crypto providers have been collecting the data required by the DAC8 directive, and converting crypto into euros may be taxable in your country of tax residence.

Applying the method to CryptoIBAN

CryptoIBAN is a brand. Crypto-asset services are provided by a provider authorised under MiCA; your IBAN account and SEPA transfers by an authorised electronic money institution. Their names and authorisation numbers are set out in the contract you receive before your account is opened.

Apply the same method to us as to any other provider: note those names and numbers, then check them in the ESMA register and with the relevant national authorities. Our Regulation page sums up who provides what, and under which authority.