Dutch Authority Grants MiCA License to Four Crypto Firms

Key Takeaways:

MoonPay, BitStaete, FinTech ZBD, and Hidden Road have successfully acquired the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) license from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM).
This license enables these companies to operate throughout the European Union.

Article Overview:

Recently, four crypto companies were awarded MiCA licenses in the Netherlands, allowing them to function across all 27 EU member states. The firms include the crypto platform MoonPay, asset management firm BitStaete, Bitcoin lightning service provider FinTech ZBD, and prime brokerage Hidden Road. According to a filing made on December 30, this license is vital for crypto entities operating within the European framework.

MiCA provides a specific regulatory guideline for crypto businesses, mandating that they secure a Crypto Asset Service Provider license from any member state to conduct business across Europe. The EU has set a deadline of December 30 for its member countries to implement these regulations, although not all nations have achieved this.

Ivan Soto-Wright, CEO of MoonPay, remarked, “MiCA represents a pivotal moment for the European digital asset industry, and we’re proud to have worked collaboratively with the Dutch AFM to be among the first to embrace this new regulatory framework.”