Germany is outpacing every other EU member state in issuing crypto-asset service provider licenses under the Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, while Austria has approved BingX EU to passport services across the European Economic Area.
In the third quarter of 2026, German authorities granted 42 MiCA authorizations, compared with 72 across all of Europe, according to data cited by BTC Echo from FinPlanet's CASP Radar report. That means Germany accounted for more than half of all new approvals in the region. Almost all of the newly licensed entities are banks, including Deutsche Bank, which received its MiCA approval last month.
FinPlanet's report shows that out of 100 companies registered as crypto asset service providers in Germany, 65 are banks. Regulators authorized 58 institutions in the previous quarter. Another 120 entities licensed in other EU countries will be able to operate in Germany under passporting rules.
The EU's MiCA framework entered into force on June 29, 2023, but only became fully applicable after a transitional period ended on July 1, 2026. Since then, all crypto service providers in the European Economic Area, including Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, must hold a MiCA license. Across Europe, the total number of licensed entities rose to 363 in the third quarter, though growth slowed from 105 new approvals in the second quarter.
Not all applications have been successful. BaFin rejected the MiCA application filed by futurum bank AG, operator of Bitcoin.de, one of Germany's oldest crypto trading platforms with more than 1 million users, leaving its future uncertain.
Separately, Berlin's plan to abolish Germany's long-standing tax exemption for crypto gains on assets held for more than one year has been delayed. A draft Finance Ministry bill would have imposed a 25% capital gains tax on all crypto trading profits regardless of holding period, but Chancellor Friedrich Merz's coalition cabinet is postponing the decision amid public pressure and resistance within the ruling majority.
In Austria, the Financial Market Authority granted MiCA authorization to BingX EU, the European subsidiary of crypto exchange BingX. The company will operate through its Vienna-based entity, MEGE zweite GmbH, and plans to offer crypto asset custody, brokerage, and exchange services across 29 EEA countries through regulatory passporting. BingX EU CEO Daniel Lai said the approval allows the platform to regain commercial access across the region following restrictions during the transition period and that the company will coordinate with the FMA and other regulators before announcing an official launch date.
