Election 2024 coverage presented by
Sygnum said it obtained a crypto license from Liechtenstein, paving the way for the Zurich and Singapore-based digital assets banking group to expand into the European Union under the bloc’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA).
The bank’s subsidiary in the country received a license allowing it to offer regulated digital assets services, including brokerage, custody and banking under Liechtenstein’s Token and Trusted Technology Service Providers Act. That will enable Sygnum to apply for a crypto-asset service provider (CASP) license under MiCA after Liechtenstein adopts the regulation, planned for first-quarter 2025.
Sygnum joins companies like Coinbase, Circle and others preparing to expand in Europe as MiCA takes effect. MiCA is a bespoke set of rules for the crypto industry that enables companies licensed in one country to operate across all 27 member states as well as countries like Liechtenstein that are in the European Economic Area. Switzerland is a member of neither.
MiCA’s stablecoin rules came into effect in June, with other regulations likely to come into force by December. EU countries have started accepting registrations for their respective crypto-asset service provider (CASP) regimes.
“The registration as CASP in Liechtenstein paves the way for a significant expansion of our regulated footprint into the EU, the world’s largest trading bloc,” said Martin Burgherr, Sygnum’s chief clients officer.
UPDATE (Sept. 23 13:55 UTC): Adds Token and Trusted Technology Service Providers Act, MiCA adoption in Liechtenstein to second paragraph.
Edited by Sheldon Reback.
Disclosure
Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.CoinDesk is an award-winning media outlet that covers the cryptocurrency industry. Its journalists abide by a strict set of editorial policies. In November 2023, CoinDesk was acquired by the Bullish group, owner of Bullish, a regulated, digital assets exchange. The Bullish group is majority-owned by Block.one; both companies have interests in a variety of blockchain and digital asset businesses and significant holdings of digital assets, including bitcoin. CoinDesk operates as an independent subsidiary with an editorial committee to protect journalistic independence. CoinDesk employees, including journalists, may receive options in the Bullish group as part of their compensation.
Camomile Shumba is a CoinDesk regulatory reporter based in the UK. She previously worked as an intern for Business Insider and Bloomberg News. She does not currently hold value in any digital currencies or projects.