Crypto & Digital Assets · Austria
Crypto license in Austria: MiCA CASP requirements (2026)
Austria shaded by its crypto & digital assets status
Crypto is regulated in Austria.
FrameworkEU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR, Reg. (EU) 2023/1114) implemented nationally by the MiCA-Vollzugsgesetz (MiCA-VG, in force 20 July 2024), supervised by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA); supported by the FM-GwG (AML), the Income Tax Act (EStG §27b) and the Crypto Asset Reporting Act (Krypto-MPfG, in force 1 Jan 2026).
Crypto is fully legal in Austria and now sits inside a comprehensive, in-force EU framework. MiCAR has applied in full since 30 December 2024 and Austria designated the FMA as the sole competent authority via the MiCA-Vollzugsgesetz (20 July 2024); the FMA has already authorised major CASPs (e.g. Bybit EU, KuCoin EU, AMINA Bank) and existing Austrian VASPs must convert to MiCAR licences (transition window ends 1 July 2026, with services ceasing for unlicensed firms after 31 Dec 2025). Crypto income is taxed under a dedicated regime at 27.5% with KESt withholding by Austrian providers, and CARF/DAC8 reporting via the Krypto-MPfG took effect on 1 January 2026.
How to get a crypto license in Austria
To provide crypto-asset services in Austria you need a MiCA CASP authorisation (Crypto-Asset Service Provider), supervised by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA), under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), Title V.
- Authority
- the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA)
- License required
- a MiCA CASP authorisation (Crypto-Asset Service Provider)
- Framework / law
- the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), Title V
- Minimum capital
- €50,000–€150,000 minimum, by service class (Class 1/2/3)
- Timeline
- about 40 working days of substantive review; 1–3 months for a well-prepared application
- Cost
- an application fee of roughly €5,000–€25,000, plus ongoing supervisory fees
- Passporting
- Yes — a single MiCA CASP licence passports across all 27 EU member states.
What a crypto license in Austria covers
- Custody and administration of crypto-assets for clients
- Operating a trading platform for crypto-assets
- Exchanging crypto-assets for funds, or for other crypto-assets
- Executing orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients
- Reception and transmission of orders, and placing of crypto-assets
- Advice and portfolio management on crypto-assets
- Transfer services for crypto-assets on behalf of clients
How to get a crypto license in Austria: step by step
- 1Incorporate a legal entity with a registered office in the member state, with at least one director resident in the EU.
- 2Build the application file: programme of operations, business plan, governance, AML/CFT, ICT resilience and client-asset segregation.
- 3Submit the application to the national competent authority.
- 4Completeness check: the authority has 25 working days to confirm the file is complete and request anything missing.
- 5Substantive assessment: the authority has 40 working days to grant or refuse the authorisation.
- 6Once authorised, notify the passport to the host member states you intend to serve, then begin operating across the EU.
Documents required in Austria
- Programme of operations describing each crypto-asset service you will provide
- Business plan with three-year financial projections
- Evidence of prudential safeguards (own funds or qualifying insurance)
- Governance arrangements, organisational chart and internal-control description
- AML/CFT policies and the appointment of a compliance officer
- ICT security, business-continuity and DORA-aligned resilience policies
- Custody and client-asset segregation arrangements
- Complaints-handling procedure and conflict-of-interest policy
- Fit-and-proper evidence for directors and qualifying shareholders (CVs, criminal-record certificates)
After authorisation: ongoing obligations in Austria
- Maintain prudential safeguards and own funds at or above the class minimum
- Keep client crypto-assets segregated from the firm's own assets
- Run continuous AML/CFT monitoring, screening and suspicious-activity reporting
- Keep marketing communications fair, clear and not misleading
- Operate complaints handling and manage conflicts of interest
- Meet ICT resilience and incident-reporting duties under DORA
- File periodic reports to the national competent authority
Crypto license in Austria: FAQ
Yes. To provide crypto-asset services in Austria you need a MiCA CASP authorisation (Crypto-Asset Service Provider), supervised by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA), under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), Title V.
The Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA).
An application fee of roughly €5,000–€25,000, plus ongoing supervisory fees.
Typically about 40 working days of substantive review; 1–3 months for a well-prepared application.
The application file centres on programme of operations describing each crypto-asset service you will provide; business plan with three-year financial projections; evidence of prudential safeguards (own funds or qualifying insurance); governance arrangements, organisational chart and internal-control description; plus fit-and-proper evidence for directors and qualifying shareholders.
Incorporate a legal entity with a registered office in the member state, with at least one director resident in the EU. Build the application file: programme of operations, business plan, governance, AML/CFT, ICT resilience and client-asset segregation. The authority then assesses the file and, once authorised, you can begin operating.
Yes — a single MiCA CASP licence passports across all 27 EU member states.
Key points
The MiCA-Vollzugsgesetz (MiCA-VG) entered into force on 20 July 2024 and designates the FMA as competent authority for authorising and supervising CASPs and issuers; MiCAR has applied in full since 30 December 2024.
Pre-existing Austrian VASPs registered under the FM-GwG must obtain a MiCAR CASP licence; the transitional regime runs to 1 July 2026, and the FMA has signalled unlicensed providers must cease regulated services after 31 December 2025.
The FMA has issued full MiCAR CASP licences to international operators including Bybit EU (May 2025), KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH (27 Nov 2025) and Swiss AMINA Bank (Nov 2025), giving EEA passporting from Austria.
Under §27a/27b EStG, current income and capital gains from crypto holdings are taxed at a flat special rate of 27.5%; since 1 Jan 2024 Austrian providers must withhold KESt as final tax, and crypto-to-crypto swaps remain tax-neutral.
The Crypto-Asset Reporting Act (Krypto-Meldepflichtgesetz, Krypto-MPfG) transposes DAC8/CARF and is in force from 1 January 2026, obliging CASPs to report client transaction and holding data to Austrian tax authorities.
MiCAR-licensed CASPs are obliged entities under the FM-GwG (Austrian AML law) and must also comply with the Travel Rule (Reg. (EU) 2023/1113) and DORA (Reg. (EU) 2022/2554), applicable since 17 Jan 2025.
Timeline - major decisions & events
AMINA Bank received a MiCAR authorisation from the FMA, joining a growing roster of crypto firms choosing Austria as their EU base under the harmonised regime.
CoinDesk ↗Major exchange Bybit secured FMA authorisation as a crypto-asset service provider in roughly 4-5 months, signalling Austria's emergence as a preferred EU licensing hub.
The Cryptonomist ↗The FMA granted Bitpanda GmbH authorisation as a crypto-asset service provider under Article 63 MiCAR, the first full MiCAR licence issued in Austria.
FMA Österreich ↗Title V (CASP authorisation and ongoing supervision) provisions of MiCAR took effect, making the FMA the comprehensive supervisor of Austria's crypto market, with a transitional period for existing providers running to end-2025.
FMA Österreich ↗Austria's national transposition law, passed by the National Council on 3 July 2024, took effect and designated the FMA as the competent authority for all crypto-asset activities, with administrative penalties up to EUR 15 million for market abuse.
FMA Österreich ↗Titles III and IV of the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, governing asset-referenced tokens and e-money tokens, began applying in Austria, the first MiCAR provisions to take effect.
FMA Österreich ↗New rules treating income from crypto-assets as capital income taxed at the special 27.5% rate took effect, giving holders tax certainty and allowing losses to be offset against other capital gains.
BMF (Federal Ministry of Finance) ↗An amendment to the Financial Market Authority Act (new §23a FMABG) created a regulatory sandbox for fintech, DLT and crypto-asset business models, easing the path to becoming a supervised entity.
FMA Österreich ↗Transposing the EU 5th AML Directive, the Financial Market Anti-Money Laundering Act required virtual asset service providers (exchanges, custodial wallets, issuers/transfers) to register with the FMA for AML/CFT purposes or cease operating in Austria.
FMA Österreich ↗The collapse of the Austrian-linked 'Optioment' scheme, up to 10,000 victims and ~12,000 BTC (≈$115m) lost, prompted FMA cooperation with Vienna prosecutors and a cross-border investigation, spotlighting crypto fraud risks.
FMA Österreich ↗Austria - other topics
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