Bitpanda Secures MiCA License, Unlocks EU Market of 450 Million

Austrian crypto unicorn Bitpanda has secured a significant milestone in its expansion across Europe, having received a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license from the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin). This license enables the crypto exchange to operate across the European Union's 27 nations, unlocking a market of over 450 million people.

Bitpanda, which had 6 million users as of December, joins a select group of crypto asset service providers (CASPs) that have received MiCA licenses. Other recipients include Boerse Stuttgart Digital, MoonPay, BitStaete, ZBD, and prime brokerage and clearing company Hidden Road. The MiCA regulatory framework entered full effect on Dec. 30, 2024, and Bitpanda is the second CASP to receive BaFin's MiCA license since then.

Bitpanda co-founder and CEO Eric Demuth expressed his enthusiasm about the license, stating that it enables the company to bring easy and safe investing to a vast market, unlocking unparalleled growth potential. He also emphasized the importance of consistent and robust enforcement of MiCA to ensure its effectiveness and maintain a level playing field for compliant CASPs.

Demuth also called on European lawmakers to stay informed about regulatory developments in other parts of the world, particularly the United States. He highlighted the US's speed and determination in positioning itself as a global crypto hub and suggested that the EU should follow suit by recognizing the borderless nature of the internet and treating any company with European customers as subject to its regulatory and enforcement measures.