MICA LIBRARY · GUIDE
CASP authorisation under Title V.
As a general rule, a person providing crypto-asset services as a business in the Union must be authorised as a crypto-asset service provider by the national competent authority of its home Member State (Art. 59), unless an Article 60 route or another narrow exception applies. Once authorised, a CASP can provide services across the Union, with EEA coverage where MiCA has been incorporated.
PRIMARY SOURCE: MICA, TITLE V (ART. 59–85) ↗ · LIVE REGISTER: MICA RADAR
The ten crypto-asset services (Art. 3(1)(16))
Authorisation is granted per service — a CASP’s licence lists exactly which of the ten it may provide. These are the letters shown against each provider on the Radar:
| Code | Service |
|---|---|
| A | Custody and administration of crypto-assets on behalf of clients |
| B | Operation of a trading platform for crypto-assets |
| C | Exchange of crypto-assets for funds |
| D | Exchange of crypto-assets for other crypto-assets |
| E | Execution of orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients |
| F | Placing of crypto-assets |
| G | Reception and transmission of orders on behalf of clients |
| H | Providing advice on crypto-assets |
| I | Providing portfolio management on crypto-assets |
| J | Providing transfer services for crypto-assets on behalf of clients |
Own-funds requirements (Art. 67 & Annex IV)
A CASP must hold, at all times, own funds of at least the higher of (a) the class minimum below, or (b) one quarter of the previous year’s fixed overheads:
| Class | Services covered · minimum |
|---|---|
| 1 | Execution, placing, reception & transmission, advice, portfolio management, transfer services — €50,000 |
| 2 | Class 1 services plus custody and/or exchange (for funds or other crypto-assets) — €125,000 |
| 3 | Class 2 services plus operation of a trading platform — €150,000 |
The application, in outline (Art. 62–63)
The application goes to the NCA of the home Member State and covers, among other things: a programme of operations for each service; governance and fit-and-proper evidence for management and qualifying shareholders; ICT and security arrangements (aligned with DORA); custody and safeguarding policy; complaints handling; conflicts of interest; and AML/CTF arrangements. The NCA acknowledges receipt within 5 working days, assesses completeness within 25 working days, and decides within 40 working days of a complete file (clock stops for information requests). In practice, end-to-end timelines run months, driven by completeness rounds.
Passporting (Art. 65): once authorised, a CASP notifies its NCA of the Member States where it intends to provide services; cross-border provision may begin after the notification information is communicated — at the latest 15 calendar days after submitting it. The passported countries for each provider are visible in ESMA’s register data.
Financial entities (Art. 60): credit institutions, investment firms, e-money institutions and certain others may provide equivalent crypto-asset services under a simplified notification rather than a fresh authorisation — one reason banks appear on the register alongside crypto-native firms.
Grandfathering — the transitional regime (Art. 143)
Firms that lawfully provided crypto-asset services under national law before 30 December 2024 could continue during a transitional period of up to 18 months — until 1 July 2026 at the latest — while seeking MiCA authorisation. Member states were free to shorten this window, and many did (windows from ~6 to 18 months). Since that deadline, providing crypto-asset services in the EU without MiCA authorisation (or an Art. 60 route) is unlawful; ESMA separately publishes a list of non-compliant entities reported by NCAs. Note that certain financial entities (for example credit institutions and investment firms) that notified their intention under Article 60 may provide equivalent crypto-asset services under that notification route — they are not “unauthorised CASPs”.
The result of this process is visible live on the MiCA Radar — every authorised CASP, its home state, services, and authorisation date.
Educational summary of public sources. This guide condenses the text of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA) and official ESMA/EBA materials for general information. It is not legal advice; obligations depend on your specific facts and Member State. Verify against the official sources linked below before relying on any point.