WhiteBIT Receives MiCA Licence in Austria as EU Deadline Nears

Lithuania-based crypto exchange, WhiteBIT, has secured the European Union's (EU) Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) from the Austrian Financial Market Authority. Therefore, WhiteBIT is permitted to provide crypto services across the entire European Economic Area (EEA) with a single permit. Under the MiCA framework, crypto firms authorised in one EU country can "passport" their services across the entire EEA without needing to obtain separate licenses in each jurisdiction. According to WhiteBIT, the license will facilitate the roll-out of a specific platform in Europe, which is whitebit.eu.

Approval Comes Weeks Before MiCA Transition Period Ends

According to WhiteBIT, its parent company, the W Group, has over 35 million clients around the globe. Being established in 2018, WhiteBIT has partnerships with companies such as Visa, FACEIT, FC Barcelona, Juventus, and Ukraine's football team. The country has not granted any form of grandfathering for the virtual asset service providers (VASPs) beyond December 31, 2025, which makes it among the early adopters of the MiCA regime within the EU. 

WhiteBIT's approval has come at the right time for the exchange, as there are fewer than two weeks before the EU's MiCA transition expires on July 1. Post that date, crypto exchanges that are operating under legacy national registrations must either hold a MiCA license or halt their operations in the bloc. 

Other exchanges, such as Binance, are still struggling with the licence as the application would be denied by EU regulators, thus effectively blocking their ability to operate in the region.

However, the crypto exchange said that Greece's regulator, the Hellenic Capital Market Commission (HCMC), a national competent authority under the MiCA framework, has completed reviewing Binance's application for compliance with MiCA and found it to be in line with the requirements, pending European Securities and Markets Authority's (ESMA) approval. 

Other countries, such as France, have always taken a firm stance regarding MiCA. In September 2025, the country warned that it would block companies licensed in other European Union (EU) nations from operating in the country without MiCA. This move has raised concerns about enforcement gaps, which allow companies to use licences obtained in one country to operate across the EU. 

The MiCA licensing of WhiteBIT showcases how the crypto exchanges are trying to get their license before the July 1 deadline set by the EU. As the transitional period comes to an end, companies that are currently running under previous national licenses will have more pressure to follow the EU regulatory regime or stop providing services altogether. The upcoming few weeks will be very important for the crypto industry in Europe.