Crypto & Digital Assets · Cyprus
Crypto license in Cyprus: MiCA CASP requirements (2026)
Cyprus shaded by its crypto & digital assets status
Crypto is regulated in Cyprus, primarily under EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA, Regulation (EU) 2023/1114) directly applicable; national supervision by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) with the Central Bank of Cyprus competent for e-money tokens. Pre-existing CySEC CASP Register under the Prevention and Suppression of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Law of 2007 (as amended) remains in force through the MiCA transitional period..
Crypto-assets are legal in Cyprus and comprehensively regulated under the directly-applicable EU MiCA Regulation, with CySEC as the primary national competent authority. MiCA's regime for asset-referenced and e-money tokens applies since 30 June 2024 and the full CASP authorisation regime since 30 December 2024; CySEC has set 27 February 2026 as the deadline for legacy CASPs to apply for a MiCA licence, with the national transitional regime ending 1 July 2026. A dedicated 8% flat tax on crypto-asset disposal profits took effect on 1 January 2026 as part of the 2026 tax reform.
How to get a crypto license in Cyprus
To provide crypto-asset services in Cyprus you need a MiCA CASP authorisation (Crypto-Asset Service Provider), supervised by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), Title V.
- Authority
- the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC)
- 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.
Crypto license in Cyprus: FAQ
Yes. To provide crypto-asset services in Cyprus you need a MiCA CASP authorisation (Crypto-Asset Service Provider), supervised by the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC), under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), Title V.
The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
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.
Yes — a single MiCA CASP licence passports across all 27 EU member states.
Key points
MiCA (Regulation (EU) 2023/1114) applies directly in Cyprus. CySEC is the designated competent authority for CASP authorisation, supervision, and enforcement; the Central Bank of Cyprus is competent for e-money token issuers.
CySEC has formally set 27 February 2026 as the deadline for incumbent CASPs to file MiCA licence applications. Firms that miss the deadline must submit a wind-down plan; national-regime services may continue only until 1 July 2026 or earlier decision on the application.
Since 2021, CASPs providing services in or from Cyprus must register on the CySEC CASP Register under the Prevention and Suppression of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing Law of 2007 (as amended), requiring local substance, fit-and-proper directors and AML/CFT compliance.
Effective 1 January 2026, profits from the disposal of crypto-assets (sale for fiat, crypto-to-crypto swaps, payments in crypto, NFT sales) are subject to a dedicated 8% flat income tax; mere holding is untaxed; mining is taxed under general income tax rules; no separate capital gains tax applies.
A MiCA authorisation granted by CySEC passports across the EEA. Several major firms (e.g. Revolut) have been authorised in Cyprus, and CySEC's chair has positioned the jurisdiction as an early leader in MiCA implementation.
Non-financial-instrument crypto-assets fall under MiCA white-paper/disclosure rules; tokens qualifying as transferable securities fall under the EU Prospectus Regulation (national threshold for prospectus exemption raised to EUR 5,000,000). Cyprus has no separate dedicated ICO/STO statute beyond these regimes.
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