WhiteBIT Secures Austrian License Under EU's MiCA Regulation
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- Crypto exchange WhiteBIT has received authorization from Austria's Financial Market Authority under the EU's MiCA regulation, enabling it to offer regulated crypto services across the European Economic Area with a single license.
- This approval comes ahead of the July 1 deadline for MiCA transition.
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The EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) aims to harmonize crypto services across member states. Companies authorized in one EU country can passport their services to others. The transition period for MiCA ends July 1, 2024.
Crypto exchange WhiteBIT has obtained authorization under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) from Austria's Financial Market Authority, allowing the company to offer regulated crypto services across the European Economic Area through a single license.
Under MiCA, crypto companies authorized in one European Union member state can passport their services across the European Economic Area without obtaining separate licenses in each jurisdiction. WhiteBIT said the authorization will support the launch of a dedicated European platform, whitebit.eu.
WhiteBIT said W Group, its parent company, serves more than 35 million customers globally. Founded in 2018, the exchange has partnerships with Visa, FACEIT, FC Barcelona, Juventus and Ukraine's national football team.
Austria did not extend grandfathering provisions for virtual asset service providers beyond Dec. 31, 2025, making it one of the first European Union jurisdictions to fully transition to the MiCA framework.
According to comments previously provided to Cointelegraph by Austria's Financial Market Authority, the regulator has licensed nine crypto-asset service providers under MiCA and described application volume as "significant."
MiCA deadline approaches for crypto firms
WhiteBIT's approval comes less than two weeks before the European Union's MiCA transition period expires on July 1. After that date, crypto companies operating under legacy national registrations must either hold a MiCA license or stop serving clients in the bloc.
The approaching deadline has increased scrutiny on exchanges that have yet to secure authorization. Earlier this week, Reuters reported that Greece's market regulator was preparing to reject Binance's MiCA application, while The Big Whale said France may be the exchange's last remaining path to a MiCA license before the deadline.
Data shared with Cointelegraph by OKX Europe suggests the MiCA transition could affect a meaningful share of Europe's crypto market. The company found that roughly 7.6 million of the 18.5 million crypto app downloads recorded in Europe between May 2025 and May 2026 were linked to exchanges that were not listed on public MiCA authorization registers.
Statement on the end of transitional periods. Source: ESMA
The European Securities and Markets Authority has said companies that remain unauthorized after July 1 should implement wind-down and client migration plans rather than continue operating while applications remain under review.
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Exchanges without MiCA licenses will cease operations in the EU after July 1.
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Offene Fragen
- Will other exchanges secure MiCA licenses before the deadline?
- What will happen to unauthorized exchanges after July 1?
- How will the market react to increased regulatory oversight?
