Explanation
A licence in one EU country passports across the whole Union. In Belgium the FSMA supervises, in the Netherlands the AFM together with DNB.
Who is a CASP
A Crypto-Asset Service Provider is any business professionally offering crypto services: custody, order execution, operating a trading platform, exchange against euro, advice or portfolio management. The term is deliberately broad: it targets the activity, not the technology or the branding.
What the licence requires
A CASP must have its directors assessed for fitness, hold minimum capital, handle complaints within set deadlines, document conflicts of interest, segregate client assets and identify clients. For cross-border services the passporting regime applies, so home-state supervision carries over into the rest of the EU.
How to check it
Look up the provider's exact legal name (not the app's brand name) in the register of the FSMA, the AFM or ESMA. If the entity is absent, or only a sister company outside the EU appears, you are in effect dealing with a foreign party without European protection.
Key takeaways
- The activity determines licensing, not the technology.
- Check the legal name in the register.
- Passport: one licence works EU-wide.
Frequently asked questions
+Is a registered firm the same as a licensed one?
No. Old national registrations were often anti-money-laundering listings only. A MiCA licence goes much further and replaces those registrations.