Introduction
MiCA was phased in from 2024 and has been fully mandatory for spot crypto services since 1 July 2026. Without a MiCA licence an exchange may no longer serve EU users. This page tracks the licensed list, based on the public ESMA CASP register, updated monthly.
What is a MiCA-licensed exchange?
An exchange registered as a CASP (Crypto-Asset Service Provider) with a national supervisor in an EU member state; the licence passports to all 27 states. See What is a MiCA licence?. Remember: MiCA covers spot only — perpetuals and tokenised stocks require What is a MiFID II licence?.
How the ESMA CASP register works
ESMA maintains a central public register of all licensed CASPs. Per registration you find the legal entity name (often different from the brand name!), the member state and supervisor, the registration date and the scope of services. As of 1 July 2026, roughly 231 CASPs were registered — and by no means all of them are exchanges.
The clusters per jurisdiction
- Malta (MFSA) — popular with larger international players; MiCA + MiFID II possible in one place
- Cyprus (CySEC) — chosen by firms that also hold or seek MiFID II
- Latvia (FCMC) — crypto-first regulator, fast procedures
- Ireland (CBI) — home of the large US exchanges
- Luxembourg (CSSF) — wallets and payment providers
- Netherlands (DNB) — strict AML focus
Which well-known exchanges lack MiCA?
Three possible reasons: the application is still pending (6-12 months), it was withdrawn or never filed, or the brand operates through a different licensed entity. Several of these firms were fined earlier for operating unregistered — see the DNB fines overview.
Verify a MiCA licence yourself
- Open the ESMA CASP register via esma.europa.eu
- Search the legal entity name from the exchange's terms — not the brand name
- Check date and member state
- Check the scope: trading and custody, or only part?
- Cross-check the national supervisor's own register
Misleading claims to watch for
"Registered in the EU" is not licensed; a licence held by a sister entity does not cover your contract; "application submitted" grants no rights since 1 July 2026; and a spot licence says nothing about derivatives on the same platform.
Frequently asked questions
How often is this list updated?
Monthly, from the ESMA CASP register.
My exchange claims a licence but is not listed. How come?
It probably operates under a different legal entity name. Search the entity from the user terms.
Is a MiCA exchange automatically safe?
No — MiCA governs supervision and segregation, not spreads, fees or platform quality. Combine with Proof of Reserves explained.