Bitpanda raises regulatory bar with trio of MiCA licenses across Europe
Bitpanda MiCA licenses across Europe
Bitpanda, the Austrian fintech unicorn, has cemented its position as a regulatory frontrunner in the European crypto landscape by securing a third license under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).
The latest approval from Austria’s Financial Market Authority (FMA) follows previous licenses from Germany’s BaFin and Malta’s Financial Services Authority (MFSA), according to the Cryptopolitan.
MiCA, which took full effect on December 30, 2024, is the EU’s attempt to standardize crypto regulation across member states. While it aims to harmonize rules for crypto asset service providers (CASPs), Bitpanda’s decision to pursue separate licenses in three countries suggests that practical enforcement remains fragmented.
A step toward unified regulation—or a test of its limits?
The Vienna-based company has described its multi-license approach as a strategic move toward becoming “Europe’s most regulated crypto platform.” In a post on X, Bitpanda emphasized that the latest FMA license marks another “step toward building the most secure and trusted crypto infrastructure in Europe.”
However, the company’s aggressive regulatory path also highlights lingering inconsistencies in how MiCA is being interpreted across the EU. Despite MiCA’s goal of offering a “passporting” regime for CASPs, no central public registry yet lists licensed entities, and differences in local implementation may still compel firms to seek multiple approvals.
Bitpanda’s entities—Bitpanda GmbH, Bitpanda Payments GmbH, Bitpanda Asset Management GmbH, and Bitpanda Financial Services GmbH—now hold at least four regulatory authorizations across Austria and Germany.
As the EU continues to roll out MiCA enforcement, Bitpanda’s strategy could set a precedent for how crypto firms navigate Europe’s evolving regulatory terrain.
Meanwhile, European crypto exchanges will remove non-compliant stablecoins ahead of the EU's MiCA deadline. Because of this, Coinbase delisted Tether (USDT) and five others on December 13, 2024, but will keep supporting USD Coin and EURC.
