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What is MiCA?
MiCA, the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1114), sets uniform EU rules for crypto-assets not covered by existing financial law: for issuers of asset-referenced tokens, e-money tokens and other crypto-assets, and for crypto-asset service providers such as custodians and trading platforms.
What it means for you
In the EU, crypto-asset service providers need MiCA authorisation; national transitional arrangements for firms already operating before 30 December 2024 could last no later than 1 July 2026. ESMA's interim register, updated weekly, lists published white papers, authorised crypto-asset service providers and non-compliant entities.
How it works
MiCA sorts crypto-assets into three groups: asset-referenced tokens, which reference several assets; e-money tokens, digital representations of an official currency; and other crypto-assets. Its titles on asset-referenced and e-money tokens applied from 30 June 2024, and the full regulation, including authorisation of crypto-asset service providers, from 30 December 2024. Member States could let providers already operating under national law continue until 1 July 2026 or until authorised. Issuers must publish a white paper disclosing material information about the crypto-asset; from 23 December 2025 white papers must be machine-readable, in iXBRL format.
Source: ESMA: Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) · checked 4 October 2026
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