Crypto Licence Cost & Timeline Calculator

How much does a crypto licence cost in 2026?

The honest answer splits in two. A full EU MiCA CASP authorisation typically costs EUR 300,000 to 700,000 in the first year, with EUR 150,000 to 250,000 recurring annually. The headline is large because most of it is operational build-out: a compliance team, an MLRO, audited accounts, IT security, and local substance. The regulator application fee itself is small by comparison, roughly EUR 1,000 to 10,000, with Lithuania near the low end at about EUR 1,500. Legal and application preparation adds EUR 15,000 to 100,000 depending on complexity and counsel.

Offshore is a different order of magnitude, and a different order of risk. El Salvador starts from around USD 5,475 one-time. SVG advertises roughly USD 6,000 but reaches a real total of USD 50,000 to 80,000 once the EC$300,000 statutory deposit (about USD 112,000 held, not spent) and substance are counted. BVI runs USD 22,000 to 70,000 or more in year one plus around USD 1,500 a month. Dubai VARA and the Cayman Islands are premium routes above USD 50,000 and USD 100,000 respectively.

MiCA CASP versus offshore: which fits?

A MiCA CASP licence buys you passportable access to the entire EU market and a regulatory reputation that banks recognise. It costs more, takes longer, and demands real substance. An offshore licence is cheaper and faster to obtain, but the licence is rarely the hard part. Banking the entity is. A low-cost offshore permit is of little use if no bank or correspondent will settle for it, which is why several offshore structures end up as a holding layer rather than the operating, banked entity.

The transitional VASP window under national regimes, which ran to roughly 1 July 2026, has now passed. For EU-facing crypto businesses, CASP is the operative framework, and the calculator reflects that. Offshore VASP-style regimes remain available outside the EU, with the trade-offs above.

What are the capital requirements for a crypto licence?

Under MiCA Article 67, minimum own funds are fixed by activity class: EUR 50,000 for Class 1, EUR 125,000 for Class 2, and EUR 150,000 for Class 3. In every case the requirement is that figure, or one quarter of the prior year fixed overheads, whichever is higher, so a larger operation carries a higher effective floor. Offshore capital is set per jurisdiction and activity rather than by a common tier: Dubai VARA runs up to AED 5,000,000 by activity, Seychelles around USD 25,000 to 100,000, and SVG carries the EC$300,000 statutory deposit noted above. Capital is held, not spent, but it still has to be funded and locked.

How long does it take to get a crypto licence?

In the EU, most CASP authorisations land in four to nine months. Lithuania is often the quickest at three to six months, with Czechia around six to nine. Offshore looks faster on the licence itself: SVG in four to six weeks, Seychelles three to four months, El Salvador two to four. The catch is that a licence is not a bank account. Dubai VARA is the slower offshore option at four to eighteen months but comes with a stronger regulatory standing. Whatever the route, the banking conversation should run in parallel with the licence, not after it.

Where these numbers come from

The bands are compiled from public 2026 estimates published by licensing advisories and regulators, cross-referenced against our own placement experience. Sources include published guidance and fee schedules from licensing advisories and regulators of the type ItisPay, Consulting24, COREDO, RUE, Gofaizen & Sherle, and VARA. Capital floors reflect MiCA Article 67 as enacted. Figures are indicative ranges, not quotes, and are shown as bands precisely because the real number depends on your activity, history, counsel, and substance. Nothing here should be relied on as legal or financial advice for a specific case.

Frequently asked questions