How EU users can check whether a crypto exchange is authorised under MiCA

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The European Union's longest Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) transition ended on 1 July 2026. A crypto platform that previously operated under a national transitional arrangement is not automatically authorised under MiCA, and an application still being reviewed is not the same as an approved licence.

For users, the safest starting point is the live ESMA MiCA register—not an exchange advertisement, app-store description or social-media profile.

A five-step check

1. Identify the exact legal entity

Open the platform's terms, account statement or regulatory disclosure and find the legal name of the entity serving your country. Large groups often use several companies. The familiar brand may not be the entity holding your assets or executing your trades.

Record the legal name, registered address and, if available, company or authorisation number. A brand-name match alone is not enough.

2. Search the current ESMA register

Use ESMA's MiCA page and current register and open the list of authorised crypto-asset service providers (CASPs). Search for the exact legal entity rather than only the trading name.

Check whether the record identifies the same website and home Member State. Similar names, copied websites and false licence claims are common warning signs. Because the register is updated, use the live version instead of an old screenshot or third-party list.

3. Confirm the authorisation with the national regulator

The ESMA record should identify the national competent authority responsible for the provider. Follow that regulator's official register or contact information and confirm the entity and authorisation number there as a second check.

This helps detect impersonation and clarifies which company is supervised. Type the regulator's official address yourself or follow the link from ESMA; do not rely on a regulator link sent through an unsolicited message.

4. Check which services are permitted

MiCA covers several crypto-asset services, including custody, operation of a trading platform, exchange, execution and transfer services. Confirm that the entity is permitted to provide the service you intend to use.

Authorisation of one group company or one activity should not be treated as blanket permission for every affiliated entity, product or jurisdiction.

5. Check warnings and the non-compliant register

ESMA also publishes a register of entities reported as providing services without the necessary authorisation or registration. Search the platform name, legal entity and website domain.

This list is non-exhaustive. A platform's absence from the warning list does not prove that it is authorised. Positive confirmation in the authorised-CASP register remains essential.

What changed after 1 July 2026

Article 143 of MiCA allowed certain providers already operating under national law before 30 December 2024 to continue temporarily. That period could be shortened by individual Member States and, in all cases, ended no later than 1 July 2026.

ESMA has stated that a provider which had not obtained authorisation by its applicable deadline must cease providing crypto-asset services until authorisation is granted. Merely saying that an application is pending does not establish permission to keep serving EU clients.

Users contacted about account migration should verify both the old and proposed new legal entities. They should read any deadline and withdrawal instructions carefully and independently confirm them through the platform's established official channel before transferring assets.

Authorised does not mean risk-free

MiCA authorisation is a regulatory status, not a guarantee of solvency, cybersecurity or investment performance. Crypto users can still face custody failures, fraud, market volatility, liquidity problems, operational outages and loss of capital.

Do not send funds simply because a website displays a MiCA logo or licence claim. Verify the exact entity and service in official registers, secure the account with strong authentication, and keep records of the terms that apply to your account.

Primary sources

This article is for general information and education only. It is not financial, investment or legal advice. Regulatory status can change; check the current official register before acting.

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