General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; check the authorities in your country. Status 23 October 2026.
MiCA (Regulation (EU) 2023/1114) is the EU's single rulebook for crypto-assets. It replaced a patchwork of national rules.
Timeline
- Rules for stablecoins (asset-referenced and e-money tokens) applied from 30 June 2024.
- The rest, including service providers, from 30 December 2024.
- National transition periods for existing firms could last at most until 1 July 2026. ESMA has told unlicensed firms to wind down.
- In Norway via the EEA from 1 July 2025.
What it regulates
- Issuers: anyone offering a new token to the public must publish a white paper and follow disclosure rules.
- Service providers: exchanges, brokers and custodians need a licence as a casp, with rules on capital, governance, custody of client assets and conflicts of interest.
- Market abuse: insider dealing and manipulation are banned.
Where bitcoin fits
Bitcoin has no issuer. MiCA's recitals note that crypto-assets without an identifiable issuer fall outside the issuer rules, while services around them, such as exchange and custody, are still covered.
What it means for you
More protection when you use a licensed firm. No licence is needed to hold bitcoin in your own wallet.