Crypto Licensing Made Simple. VASP Compliance in Every Major Jurisdiction

The Cayman Islands has separate registration and licensing requirements supervised by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA). Virtual asset custody providers and trading platforms require a VASP licence. Other activities within the regime generally follow the registration route. The applicable route depends on the services you provide.

Our Cayman VASP support covers business-model assessment, corporate structuring and application preparation. Working with local counsel, we help document ownership, customer transactions, AML controls and governance, giving your team a clear plan for applying and maintaining compliance.

Businesses providing regulated virtual asset services in or from the BVI must register with the BVI Financial Services Commission. The framework includes additional requirements for crypto exchanges and custody providers. Not every Web3 business falls within its scope, so the first step is to assess your actual activities.

Digital Lawyers helps determine whether your project requires BVI VASP registration and how it fits within your wider company structure. With local advisers, we coordinate the application, business plan, ownership documentation and compliance procedures, and explain the ongoing reporting and audit obligations before you commit.

The Seychelles Financial Services Authority (FSA) licenses virtual asset exchanges, wallet providers, brokers and investment providers under the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, 2024. A Seychelles company providing regulated virtual asset services still needs the relevant licence when its customers and operations are overseas.

Our Seychelles crypto licensing support starts with identifying the permissions your business needs. We then coordinate company setup, application documents and compliance preparation with local advisers. We also help you plan for local staffing, office arrangements and ongoing obligations, so you understand what operating the business will involve.

Estonian CASP applications are assessed by Finantsinspektsioon. The previous FIU virtual currency licence no longer provides a standalone basis for operating following the end of the transition on 1 July 2026.

Our Estonia crypto licensing support covers the proposed services, company structure, management arrangements and application documents. For businesses previously operating under an FIU licence, we identify the changes needed to meet MiCA requirements, including client protection and operational controls.

The Bank of Lithuania handles CASP authorisation under MiCA. Founders planning a crypto exchange, custody service or brokerage should assess the permissions required for their specific activities before launching.

Digital Lawyers helps prepare the business plan, ownership and management information, financial projections and compliance documentation. We also assess how crypto services will connect with payment providers and other partners, helping you identify dependencies early in the application process.

Cyprus offers a CASP authorisation route through the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC). Applications now follow MiCA, rather than the previous national crypto registration framework.

For founders establishing a Cyprus operating company, our support connects company formation with licensing preparation. This includes defining the services to be authorised, planning management responsibilities and preparing the policies and customer documents needed for the proposed business.

The Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) authorises crypto-asset service providers under MiCA. New applicants should plan around the current CASP framework rather than Malta’s former VFA licence classes.

Our Malta crypto licensing service helps turn your operating model into a consistent application. Particular attention goes to how the business protects client assets, manages conflicts, oversees outsourced providers and responds to technology failures.

Luxembourg’s Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) supervises CASPs under MiCA. Its former AML-based VASP registration is no longer sufficient for activities requiring CASP authorisation.

For projects combining crypto services with investment funds, custody or asset tokenisation, we assess each part of the structure separately. Our work coordinates the CASP application with any additional financial-services requirements, helping founders understand which entity needs which permission.

Liechtenstein applies MiCA through its EEA framework, with supervision by the Financial Market Authority (FMA). Its Blockchain Act, known as the TVTG, continues to cover certain activities outside MiCA. A TVTG registration does not replace CASP authorisation where MiCA applies.

Digital Lawyers helps tokenisation and crypto businesses identify whether their model falls under MiCA, the TVTG or financial-instrument rules. With local counsel, we align the token’s legal rights, company structure and licensing application with the planned services.

Gibraltar has a separate Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) provider regime supervised by the Gibraltar Financial Services Commission (GFSC). It covers businesses using DLT in or from Gibraltar to store or transmit value belonging to others.

Our Gibraltar licensing support includes assessing whether your activities fall within the regime, preparing application materials and coordinating governance, financial-crime controls and technology-risk documentation. For businesses targeting European customers, we also assess market-access requirements separately: a Gibraltar licence does not provide a MiCA passport.

US crypto regulation depends on what your business does, how it handles customer assets and which states it serves. A crypto exchange, custodial wallet or brokerage may need several permissions.

Our US crypto licensing assessment covers:

– FinCEN MSB registration: whether your activities qualify as money transmission and require registration, an anti-money laundering programme, recordkeeping and reporting.

– State licensing: which money transmitter or virtual currency licences apply. New York’s BitLicense is a separate authorisation from a money transmitter licence.

– Securities and derivatives requirements: whether your tokens, investment products or trading services fall under SEC or CFTC rules, and what additional permissions or restrictions may apply.

With US counsel, we turn this assessment into a practical application plan, covering company structure, required filings, compliance policies and customer documentation. You can then plan your launch around the markets and services your business is authorised to support.

Businesses providing virtual currency exchange or transfer services in Canada generally need FINTRAC registration as a money services business (MSB). Foreign businesses directing and providing these services to Canadian clients may need foreign MSB registration, even without a Canadian office.

FINTRAC registration is not a crypto licence or regulatory endorsement. Crypto trading platforms may also need provincial or territorial securities registration and, depending on their model, investment dealer registration and membership in the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization (CIRO).

Our Canadian crypto compliance support includes:

– Assessing MSB or foreign MSB registration requirements.

– Preparing registration information and AML/KYC procedures.

– Coordinating securities-registration assessments with Canadian counsel.

– Reviewing custody arrangements, customer agreements and risk disclosures.

This gives founders a clear picture of the approvals, resources and ongoing obligations needed to serve Canadian customers.