• Bitpanda, OKX, and Crypto.com secure MiCA licenses, enabling streamlined operations across the 30-nation European Economic Area (EEA).
• MiCA regulations simplify compliance for crypto firms, fostering growth and regulatory clarity across Europe’s evolving digital asset landscape.

Several crypto exchanges, including Bitpanda, OKX, and Crypto.com, have obtained Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) licenses, signaling a new chapter for regulated digital asset operations across Europe.

Bitpanda announced it had secured its license from Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), while OKX and Crypto.com gained accreditation in Malta.

The MiCA regulatory framework, which came into effect late last year, enables licensed firms to operate seamlessly across the 30 countries of the European Economic Area (EEA) without requiring separate approvals in each jurisdiction. The EEA includes the 27 European Union (EU) member states, along with Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

Bitpanda, a Vienna-based crypto platform with over six million users as of December, views the license as a gateway to broader growth opportunities.

“This milestone enables us to bring easy and safe investing to over 450 million people, unlocking unparalleled growth potential in a market we’re ready to fully conquer,” said Eric Demuth, CEO and co-founder of Bitpanda, in a statement.

The platform joins an expanding list of firms benefiting from MiCA’s streamlined licensing process. Germany’s Boerse Stuttgart Digital was the first to receive approval under the framework, with other recipients including MoonPay, BitStaete, ZBD, and Hidden Road, a prime brokerage and clearing company.

Crypto.com COO Eric Anziani highlighted the operational efficiencies the license offers, stating, “We can streamline operations to ensure both compliance and seamless cross-border activity.”

The MiCA framework is widely seen as a pivotal step in providing regulatory clarity for the crypto industry in Europe, fostering growth and investor protection while allowing firms to scale across multiple markets efficiently. With major exchanges already capitalizing on the new regime, the EEA is positioning itself as a global leader in crypto regulation.

Editorial Note: This news article has been written with assistance from AI. Edited & fact-checked by Harshajit Sarmah.