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CASP Crypto License in Estonia
Estonia is doubling down on digital finance. From 1 January 2025 the Estonian Financial Supervision and Resolution Authority (FSA) became the sole body issuing Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) licences, while the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) continues to oversee legacy VASPs until the extended transition deadline of 1 July 2026.
Why choose Estonia?
• EU passporting – one Estonian CASP licence lets you serve clients across all 27 EU states.
• e-Residency & full-digital state – set up and manage a company entirely online, from anywhere.
• 0 % corporate tax on retained and reinvested profits – pay tax only when you distribute dividends.
• Advanced regulatory clarity – Estonia’s 2022 overhaul already mirrors many MiCA standards, easing the migration to CASP.
• Tech-talent hub – long-standing blockchain ecosystem and robust cyber-security culture.
Who needs a CASP licence?
Under MiCA (Art. 3), any firm that offers:
• Custody or wallet services
• Exchange (crypto/fiat or crypto/crypto)
• Order execution or transfer services
• Trading-platform operation
• Portfolio management or investment advice on crypto-assets
Key licensing requirements
• Local substance – Estonian private limited company (OÜ), registered office, and at least one EU-resident executive.
• Share-capital tiers –
• €50 000 (Class 1: advice, order routing)
• €125 000 (Class 2: custody, exchange)
• €150 000 (Class 3: trading platform)
• State fee – €3 000 per application; typical end-to-end timeframe 4–8 months.
• Governance – fit-and-proper management, MLRO & risk officer resident in the EU, external audit required for all CASPs.
• AML/KYC & tech safeguards – policies meeting EU AMLD/CFT rules, transaction monitoring, key-custody security and incident-response plans.
Timeline & transitional rules
• MiCA fully applicable: 30 Dec 2024.
• New entrants: must hold a CASP licence before launching.
• Existing Estonian VASPs: may operate under grandfathering until 1 July 2026 but must file a CASP application with the FSA well before that date to avoid interruption.
Ongoing obligations
• Maintain capital buffers at tier level.
• Annual audited financials & compliance reports to FSA.
• Real-time suspicious-activity reporting to FIU.
• Five-year record-keeping of all transactions and KYC data.
How Demire Inc supports your Estonia launch
• Entity formation, e-Residency onboarding and local director sourcing
• Preparation of MiCA-compliant business plan, governance, AML/KYC and ICT policies
• Direct liaison with the FSA throughout the application
• Post-licensing compliance, audit, and regulatory reporting
Ready to leverage Estonia’s digital edge and EU-wide passporting? Contact Demire Inc to begin your CASP licensing journey.
