The EU Now Vets the New Owner When You Buy a Crypto License Company
On 1 July 2026, the last grace period under the EU’s crypto law ended. The law is the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, called MiCA. A crypto firm serving EU clients now needs a MiCA licence, unless it is a bank or another financial firm allowed to offer crypto services by notifying its regulator. A firm with neither must wind down its unlicensed EU business.
That leaves two ways in. You can apply for a new licence, or you can buy a crypto license company that already holds one. Many founders think buying is the quick route. It can be quicker. But the regulator checks the buyer before the deal can close, and a buyer who skips that step can lose the deal.
What changed on 1 July 2026
Before MiCA, each EU country had its own crypto rules. When MiCA started, firms already working legally under those national rules got a transition period. Article 143(3) of MiCA let them continue "until 1 July 2026", or until their application was approved or refused.
That date has passed. On 23 June 2026, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) told firms without a licence to wind down their EU business in an orderly way, while protecting their clients. That includes business with existing clients, not only new ones. Some EU countries ended the transition earlier than 1 July 2026.
For a buyer, this matters in two ways. More firms now want a licensed company, so the good ones are harder to find. And a company that looked licensed under old national rules may have lost its right to serve EU clients.
Buying the company means asking for approval
A MiCA licence is granted to a company, based on who owns and runs it. When the owners change, the regulator wants to check the new ones. That is why MiCA has a special process for buying a "qualifying holding".
A qualifying holding means at least 10% of the capital or voting rights, held directly or indirectly, or a holding that lets you have a significant influence on how the firm is run. That is the MiCA definition in Article 3. Holdings owned through other companies count, and so do people acting together. Splitting a stake does not avoid the check.
Under Article 83, you must tell the firm’s regulator in writing before you buy a qualifying holding. You must tell it again before your holding reaches or goes past 20%, 30% or 50%, or before the firm becomes your subsidiary.
The regulator then has 60 working days to assess you. The clock starts on the date it confirms in writing that it has your notice. It can ask for more information up to the 50th working day. That pauses the clock, usually for up to 20 working days. Send a complete file, because every gap invites questions. If it opposes you, the deal cannot go ahead.
What the regulator checks about you
Article 84 lists what the regulator looks at. In plain words, it asks five questions.
- Is the buyer honest and of good standing?
- Are the people who will run the firm fit for the job? It checks their reputation, knowledge, skills and experience.
- Is the buyer financially sound?
- Will the firm still meet all MiCA rules after the sale?
- Is there any sign that the deal is linked to money laundering or terrorist financing?
The detailed list of documents is in a separate EU law, Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/414. Expect to show where your money comes from, who your own owners are, and your plan for the business.
Your own history counts too. If you or your managers were refused a licence elsewhere, or faced action from a regulator, say so early. A regulator that finds it later will trust the rest of your file less.
Before you buy a crypto license company, check these five things
Most failed deals fail on the target, not the buyer. Check the company before you sign.
- Is it really authorised under MiCA? Look for it on ESMA’s register of crypto-asset service providers. An old national registration is not the same thing after 1 July 2026.
- Which services does the licence cover? A MiCA licence lists specific services, such as custody or exchange. Buy one that covers what you plan to do.
- Which country granted it? That country’s regulator will run your approval, and it will supervise you after the sale.
- Are the staff and systems still in place? The licence depends on real people and working controls. A company with no staff left may not keep its licence.
- Has it had any problems with its regulator? Ask for all letters from the regulator since it was licensed.
If you are still choosing a market, the comparison of popular crypto licences sets out how the main options differ.
What to put in your file
Build the file in the order the regulator will read it. That saves a round of questions, and each round of questions adds time.
Start with a chart of who owns you, all the way up to the real people at the top. Add where the money for the purchase comes from, with bank records to show it. Then add a short plan for the business after the sale. Say which services you will offer, in which countries, and who will run them.
Next come the people. For each new director or manager, give a CV, proof of any past licences and a clean police record where the country asks for one. If anyone has faced action from a regulator before, explain what happened and what changed.
Last, explain how the firm will keep meeting MiCA rules. The regulator wants to see that the staff, systems and controls will still be there after the sale. A buyer who plans to replace the whole team on day one should say who replaces them and when.
Common reasons a deal stalls
An unclear money trail, a new manager with no record in regulated finance, a thin business plan, or open problems between the target and its regulator. Each can be fixed before you file, and none quickly after.
How long a purchase really takes
The law gives the regulator 60 working days, plus any pause while it waits for your answers. That is about three months of working days before any pause.
Add the time to find the company, check it, agree the price and prepare your file. Then add the time to move bank accounts and sign new contracts. A purchase is often quicker than a new application. It is not quick.
No EU authority publishes an average time or an average price for these deals. If someone quotes you one, ask where it comes from.
Where to find a licensed company
Ready-made companies are listed for sale from time to time. You can see the current ones on the licensed companies for sale page. Each listing shows the country and the type of licence.
If you are on the other side of the deal, the guide on what to prepare before you sell a crypto license company in the EU covers the seller’s steps.
For help with the whole file, from checking the target to writing the notice to the regulator, see crypto licence buying and application support.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy a crypto license in the EU?
You can buy a company that holds a MiCA licence. You cannot buy the licence on its own. The regulator must approve you as the new owner before you take a qualifying holding.
What is a qualifying holding under MiCA?
It is at least 10% of a firm’s capital or voting rights, held directly or indirectly, or a holding that gives significant influence over its management. Buying one needs the regulator’s approval first.
How long does the regulator take to approve a buyer?
MiCA gives it 60 working days from when it confirms your notice. Questions from the regulator can pause that clock for a while.
What happens if I buy without telling the regulator?
You break Article 83 of MiCA. The regulator can oppose the deal, and EU countries must be able to fine firms for this breach.
Is a company registered before MiCA still licensed?
Not by default. The last transition period ended on 1 July 2026. Check that the company appears on ESMA’s register as a MiCA crypto-asset service provider.
Does the regulator also check new directors?
Yes. It checks the reputation, knowledge, skills and experience of anyone who will run the firm after the sale.
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*Sources: Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA), Articles 3, 83, 84 and 143; ESMA public statement of 23 June 2026; Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/414.*