Bitgo Europe GmbH is opening a regulated infrastructure path for European crypto businesses that face losing their operating licenses as legacy virtual asset service provider registration regimes expire under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation.
Bitgo Europe Gives Crypto Firms a MiCAR-Compliant Alternative Before July Deadline
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Key Takeaways
- Bitgo Europe, authorized by BaFin under MiCAR, launched a CaaS platform for EU VASPs on June 17.
- Poland faces a July 1, 2026, MiCAR deadline as Lithuania’s legacy VASP regime expired Dec. 31, 2025.
- Bitgo Europe’s custody insurance covers up to $250 million, subject to terms and conditions.
MiCAR Is Replacing the Old System
MiCAR has replaced fragmented national crypto registration regimes across the European Economic Area with a single, harmonized authorization framework for crypto-asset service providers, or CASPs. The transition is creating real urgency for businesses that built their operations under country-level VASP registration rules that no longer meet the new standard.
Two markets sit at the center of the pressure. Lithuania’s transition period for legacy VASPs ended Dec. 31, 2025. Poland’s domestic implementation path remains unresolved as a July 1, 2026, MiCAR transition deadline approaches.
What Bitgo Europe Is Offering
Bitgo Europe, authorized by Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, known as BaFin, as a crypto-asset service provider under MiCAR, told Bitcoin.com News on Wednesday the availability of its Crypto-as-a-Service platform for eligible VASPs, fintechs, and digital asset platforms navigating the transition.
The CaaS platform delivers:
- MiCAR-regulated custody and wallet infrastructure with client asset segregation
- Modular wallet APIs that let businesses keep their existing front-end experience
- Programmatic onboarding and KYC under Bitgo Europe’s compliance standards
- Trading and settlement through Bitgo Europe’s BaFin-supervised trading authorization
- SEPA on- and off-ramps for euro funding and withdrawals, where available
- Custodial wallet insurance coverage up to $250 million, subject to terms and conditions
The Business Case
For firms that operated under expiring or expired VASP registration regimes, the alternative to a solution like Bitgo Europe’s CaaS is building a standalone regulated operating stack from the ground up, a costly and time-consuming process that most smaller businesses are not positioned to complete before regulatory deadlines hit.
Jody Mettler, COO of Bitgo and President of Bitgo Bank and Trust, National Association, said the platform is designed to help eligible businesses move to a regulated infrastructure model without disrupting customers or abandoning existing product experiences.
“MiCAR is raising the standard for digital asset businesses across Europe, and many VASPs now need a practical way to adapt without disrupting their customers,” Mettler said.
Mike Belshe, CEO and co-founder of Bitgo, pointed to the broader direction, stating:
“Bitgo was built for moments like this, where security, regulation, and scalable technology need to come together.”
Parallel Licensing Remains an Option
Bitgo Europe noted that eligible businesses can also continue evaluating or pursuing their own CASP licenses in parallel while using its infrastructure, leaving the long-term ownership path open.
Bitgo Europe’s CaaS offering is available now for eligible businesses across the EEA.
