KuCoin has become the latest major exchange to obtain a license under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework.
The company announced on Friday that its regional arm, KuCoin EU, has received MiCA authorization from Austria’s Financial Market Authority, enabling it to offer regulated crypto-asset services across 29 countries in the European Economic Area — with Malta notably excluded.
KuCoin CEO BC Wong called the approval a “defining milestone” for the exchange’s long-term compliance strategy, describing MiCA as one of the world’s most robust regulatory standards.
Austria emerges as KuCoin’s strategic gateway to Europe
The approval follows KuCoin’s MiCA application submitted in early 2025 and comes months after several other crypto-asset service providers, including Bitpanda, secured MiCA registrations in other EU jurisdictions.
KuCoin said its choice of Austria was driven by the country’s early rollout of MiCA-aligned legislation, a predictable regulatory climate, and strong local talent — factors the exchange highlighted when announcing its plans in February.
Austria’s FMA has now granted MiCA licenses to six crypto-asset service providers, including KuCoin. The other approved firms are Amina Bank, Bitpanda, Bybit, Cryptonow and FIOR Digital — further cementing Austria’s growing role as a regulatory hub for MiCA-compliant operations.
“This milestone strengthens KuCoin’s commitment to responsible global expansion,” CEO BC Wong said, emphasizing that compliance is “the foundation of our long-term mission to deliver secure, innovative, and accessible digital asset services worldwide.”
Cointelegraph reached out to KuCoin for clarification on why Malta is excluded from its EEA coverage but had not received a response at the time of publication.
While Malta has issued multiple MiCA licenses — including to Blockchain.com and Gemini — the country has become one of the most vocal critics of centralized EU-level supervision under MiCA, putting it at odds with member states such as France.
