How Much Does a Crypto License Cost? Official Fees by Jurisdiction
The official fee for a crypto license is often small. In Hong Kong it is HK$4,740 per licensed activity, in Malta €10,000 to €25,000 to apply, and at El Salvador’s regulator US$5,475. The US and Canada charge nothing to register a money services business. But that is an anti-money laundering registration, not a full licence. State or provincial rules can add their own costs. The real cost is capital, staff and advice. No regulator publishes that.
This page lists only fees a regulator or its rulebook sets out. Each figure links to its source.
Official fees at a glance
| Jurisdiction | What you get | Official fee | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hong Kong | SFC licence to run a virtual asset trading platform | HK$4,740 per regulated activity to apply, and the same each year, plus fees for each licensed person | SFC Licensing Handbook for VATP Operators |
| Malta (EU, MiCA) | Authorisation as a crypto-asset service provider (CASP) | €10,000, €20,000 or €25,000 to apply by class; then a yearly supervisory fee from €10,000 | Markets in Crypto-Assets Act (Fees) Regulations, L.N. 295 of 2024 |
| Switzerland | Membership of VQF, a self-regulatory organisation (SRO), for anti-money laundering supervision | CHF 2,000 plus VAT, plus CHF 300 to CHF 6,000 by work involved, plus an admission audit; then at least CHF 1,650 plus VAT a year | VQF Fee Regulation |
| El Salvador | Registration as a Digital Asset Service Provider (DASP) | US$5,475 initial registration fee | CNAD, register as a DASP |
| United States | FinCEN registration as a money services business (MSB), an anti-money laundering filing | No fee | FinCEN |
| Canada | FINTRAC registration as a money services business, an anti-money laundering filing | No fee | FINTRAC |
Fees change. Check the linked page before you budget.
Hong Kong: HK$4,740 per activity
In Hong Kong, a crypto trading platform needs a licence from the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC). The SFC’s handbook lists an application fee of "$4,740 per RA" for a platform operator. RA means regulated activity.
A platform licensed under both laws applies for three activities. Two are under the securities law: Type 1 (dealing in securities) and Type 7 (automated trading services). The third is "providing a VA service" under the anti-money laundering law. Each costs HK$4,740. So the company’s application comes to HK$14,220. Licensed people pay per activity too. The handbook lists HK$1,790 per activity for a licensed representative and HK$2,950 per activity for approval as a responsible officer.
The annual fee is the same HK$4,740 per activity for the platform. Each year a responsible officer pays HK$4,740 per activity, and other licensed representatives HK$1,790. A late fee costs 10% extra if paid within a month, 30% within two months and 50% within three. After three months the licence can be suspended, and after four it can be revoked.
The same handbook says a platform must keep paid-up share capital of at least HK$5,000,000. It must also keep liquid capital of at least HK$3,000,000, or a higher amount set by the rules. Capital is not a fee, but it is often the largest number in the budget.
Malta and MiCA: €10,000 to €25,000
In the EU, a firm providing crypto-asset services needs authorisation under MiCA, the EU’s crypto law. Banks and some other financial firms can use a notification route instead. Each country’s regulator sets its own fees. Malta’s are in a legal notice anyone can read, so we use Malta as the EU example.
Malta’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Act (Fees) Regulations set the application fee by class. The rule reads "ten thousand euro (€10,000)" for Class 1 services. Class 2 costs twenty thousand euro (€20,000). A Class 3 service costs "twenty-five thousand euro (€25,000)". It adds that where a firm applies for services in different classes, "only the highest application fee" applies.
The same rules set a yearly supervisory fee once authorised. It is €10,000 for Class 1, €25,000 for Class 2 or €50,000 for Class 3. On top of that come €2,000 for each service. There is also 0.05% of the firm’s trading volume, up to €250,000.
Other EU regulators charge in other ways. Some charge by the hours they spend on a file. So Malta’s figure is one example, not an EU price.
Switzerland: SRO membership from CHF 2,000
Many Swiss crypto brokers work under a self-regulatory organisation (SRO) for their anti-money laundering duties. VQF is one such SRO. Its fee regulation lists an "Administration fee CHF 2,000 plus VAT" to join. An extra fee of CHF 300 to CHF 6,000 is added, based on the work involved.
Each year, VQF charges an "Annual membership fee CHF 400 plus VAT". SRO members also pay an extra yearly fee, with a "Minimum fee CHF 1,250 plus VAT". So the smallest yearly total is CHF 1,650 plus VAT. The regulation also puts the admission audit "in the range of CHF 750 to CHF 3,000 plus VAT".
SRO membership covers anti-money laundering checks. A Swiss firm that takes deposits or deals in securities needs a licence from FINMA. That costs more.
El Salvador: US$5,475
El Salvador’s National Commission of Digital Assets (CNAD) registers digital asset service providers. Its own page explains the fee. After a yes, the firm pays "the initial registration fee ($5,475) within 10 days from the notification of the resolution".
CNAD then issues the registration certificate. Clients in other countries fall under their own countries’ rules. So a firm serving them may need more than this registration.
United States and Canada: registration is free
In the US, FinCEN’s guidance says exchangers of virtual currency "generally qualify as money transmitters". Money transmitters register with FinCEN as money services businesses. FinCEN says: "There is no cost for registration." That is the federal registration only. State licensing is a separate question with its own fees, and this page does not cover it. The steps for the federal part are in our guide to registering as an MSB with FinCEN.
In Canada, FINTRAC registers money services businesses, including virtual currency dealers. FINTRAC says it "does not charge registration fees".
Free registration is not a free business. FinCEN’s 2019 guidance on convertible virtual currencies says money transmitters must also meet its "recordkeeping, reporting, and transaction monitoring obligations".
Which fees apply: three examples
Scenario 1: You want to run a crypto trading platform in Hong Kong
Your company applies to the SFC for three regulated activities. Its fee to apply is HK$14,220. Each responsible officer pays HK$2,950 per activity for approval. Each licensed representative pays HK$1,790 per activity. The platform then pays HK$4,740 per activity again every year. The company must also keep at least HK$5,000,000 in paid-up share capital and HK$3,000,000 in liquid capital. The HK$5,000,000 capital alone is more than 350 times the HK$14,220 application fee.
Scenario 2: You want to serve EU clients from Malta
Your application fee depends on the class of service: €10,000, €20,000 or €25,000. If you apply for services in two classes, you pay only the higher fee. After authorisation, the yearly supervisory fee starts at €10,000 for Class 1. Each service adds €2,000, and 0.05% of trading volume is added on top, up to €250,000. So more services and more trading raise the yearly fee, until the volume part reaches its €250,000 cap.
Scenario 3: You exchange crypto for clients in the US and Canada
Federal registration with FinCEN costs nothing, and FINTRAC charges no registration fee. Your money goes on the work that comes with it. FinCEN says money transmitters must keep records, file reports and monitor transactions. In the US, state licences are a separate cost that this page does not cover.
What the official fee leaves out
Your own business sets the rest of the cost. No schedule publishes it:
- Share capital or liquid capital the regulator requires you to hold.
- Salaries for the compliance officer, the money laundering reporting officer and local directors.
- Legal and advisory fees to prepare the application.
- Audits, both at admission and every year.
- Office, systems and insurance in the country.
No regulator publishes an average total, and we do not estimate one. The honest answer to "how much does a crypto license cost?" is the official fee plus these five items for your own plan.
Some founders save time by buying a company that already holds a licence. Our guide on how the EU vets a new owner when you buy a crypto license company explains the approval that still applies. Current ready-made companies are on the licensed companies for sale page. The comparison of popular crypto licences sets the main options side by side. For a priced plan for your own case, see crypto licence application support.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a crypto registration with no official fee?
Yes. FinCEN in the US and FINTRAC in Canada charge nothing to register a money services business. These are anti-money laundering registrations, not full licences, and US state or Canadian provincial rules can add their own costs.
How much is a crypto license in Hong Kong?
The SFC charges HK$4,740 per regulated activity, to apply and again each year. A platform licensed for three activities pays HK$14,220, plus fees for each licensed person.
How much does a MiCA licence cost?
Each EU regulator sets its own fees. In Malta, the application fee is €10,000, €20,000 or €25,000 by class, and a yearly supervisory fee follows.
Does the fee include capital requirements?
No. Capital is money the firm must hold, not a fee. In Hong Kong, for example, a trading platform must keep at least HK$5,000,000 in paid-up share capital.
—
*Sources: SFC Licensing Handbook for Virtual Asset Trading Platform Operators (July 2025); Malta L.N. 295 of 2024 (published November 2024); VQF Fee Regulation; CNAD registration page (updated May 2026); FinCEN; FINTRAC (updated August 2026).*