Author: Anka Langedijk
If you buy or hold crypto in the EEA, 1 July 2026 is a date worth having on your radar. On that date, the MiCA transition period ends across all 30 EEA countries. From then on, crypto platforms covered by MiCA need a license to keep serving EEA customers. For most users, the key questions are: is the platform I use still allowed to serve me, what happens to my crypto if it is not, and how can I check? Here is what you need to know.
What MiCA is
MiCA is short for the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. It is the EU rulebook for crypto services. It sets common standards for platforms that provide crypto services such as buying, selling, exchanging, transferring, or safeguarding crypto-assets. These platforms need a license to provide services to EEA users.
MiCA adds customer protections that were not there before. Authorized providers must comply with requirements designed to protect customers’ interests and assets, including rules on asset safekeeping, clear disclosures, governance arrangements, ICT and security controls, and complaints-handling procedures. While MiCA reduces risks, it does not make crypto risk-free: prices can fall and assets can still be lost through mistakes, fraud, or theft.
What changes from 1 July 2026
MiCA rules for crypto service providers have applied since 30 December 2024, but existing providers were given a transition period. During that period, providers that were already operating could keep offering services while applying for their MiCA license. From 1 July 2026, these platforms are no longer allowed to keep serving EEA users without a MiCA license. In a public statement issued on 23 June 2026, ESMA, the EU financial markets regulator, confirmed there will be no extension.
Without a MiCA license, platforms may no longer be able to offer crypto services in the EEA per 1 July 2026. Some familiar names may change or stop their EEA services. The numbers illustrate the scale of the shift: only a few hundred firms have been authorized so far, while well over a thousand previously held registrations under national regimes. Platforms that EEA users have relied on may therefore be winding down or exiting the market.
How to check your platform
Do not rely only on what a platform says. Look up the platform on the ESMA register. On esma.europa.eu, search the register for crypto-asset service providers. There are several registers on the site, make sure you are on the right one. When you search:
- Use the company’s legal name, not just the brand name. Search for the company name shown in your account, terms of service, or legal documents, rather than only the app logo or trading name.
- Check the app and the service you use. Some apps use a licensed provider for buy/sell transactions but provide other services, such as holding assets, under a different company name. Check the company responsible for the service you use, not only the payment provider behind part of the app.
- One license can cover the whole EEA. A provider authorized in the Netherlands, for example, could have passported its license to serve customers across the EEA. The register shows the countries where the provider can offer services, so check whether your country is covered.
If a provider is not listed after the deadline, gather more information and consider moving to a licensed provider.
What happens if a platform is not licensed
An unauthorised platform covered by MiCA is expected to wind down its EEA services in an orderly way. That usually means giving customers advance notice and time to withdraw or move their assets before services stop. The risk is that not every company will manage this smoothly, and a rushed shutdown can leave customers with fewer options. If your platform has gone quiet about its license status, consider moving your assets to a wallet you control or to a licensed provider.
Where MoonPay stands
MoonPay Europe B.V. was authorized under MiCA by the Dutch AFM on 30 December 2024. In fact, MoonPay Europe was one of the very few companies that obtained its license on the first day of MiCA. Its authorisation allows it to serve customers across the entire EEA.
If your current provider is leaving, restricting, or changing its EEA services, MoonPay Europe offers a regulated way to continue buying and selling crypto with a MiCA compliant provider. If you want to confirm this yourself, check MoonPay’s authorisation on its own website, or in the ESMA or AFM register.
MoonPay also powers buy and sell services inside some third-party apps and wallets. MoonPay provides those transactions under its own license, but the app or wallet itself is a separate business. Other services that app or wallet offers, such as holding crypto or providing trading services, fall outside MoonPay's licence and are not subject to its requirements. If you use a third-party app or wallet, check that provider on the ESMA register as well.
Frequently asked questions
What is MiCA?
MiCA, the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, sets rules for crypto providers across the EEA. The key point for users is simple: providers need authorization to offer services such as buying, selling, exchanging, transferring, or holding crypto-assets for customers.
When do MiCA requirements apply?
The MiCA rules for crypto providers started to apply on 30 December 2024, and the EEA-wide transition period for existing providers ended on 1 July 2026.
Does MiCA make crypto safer for users?
MiCA adds protections that were not there before. Authorized providers must comply with requirements designed to protect customers’ interests and assets, including rules on asset safekeeping, clear disclosures, governance arrangements, ICT and security controls, and complaints-handling procedures. While MiCA reduces risks, it does not make crypto risk-free: prices can fall and assets can still be lost through mistakes, fraud, or theft.
Are all crypto platforms covered by MiCA?
MiCA applies to many crypto apps and exchanges that offer their services to EEA users. However, certain services may fall outside MiCA’s scope, such as fully decentralized services that operate without a central intermediary. Providers outside MiCA's scope are not subject to MiCA protections.
What happens to platforms that are not authorised?
After 1 July 2026, platforms may no longer serve EEA customers unless they are authorised under MiCA. They are expected to wind down EEA services in an orderly way, usually with advance notice and a window for customers to withdraw or move their assets first. If you need a replacement provider, check the MiCA status of that provider before you move.
Is MoonPay authorised under MiCA?
Yes. MoonPay Europe B.V. has been MiCA-authorised by the Dutch AFM since 30 December 2024, and can serve customers across the entire EEA.
Can I use MoonPay if my current provider stops serving me?
Yes. If your current provider is leaving or restricting EEA services because of MiCA, MoonPay can be a compliant option to consider. MoonPay Europe B.V. is MiCA-authorised by the Dutch AFM for providing exchange and transfer services.
MoonPay does not take custody of your crypto, which helps ensure that you remain in control of your assets. Any wallet created through MoonPay’s affiliate Launchpad Limited is non-custodial, meaning you remain in full control of the wallet and its recovery phrase.
How do I check if a provider is authorised?
Use the ESMA register on www.esma.europa.eu, and search the exact company name rather than only the brand name. For each service you use, confirm that the company is authorised as a crypto-asset service provider under MiCA.