Markets in Crypto-Assets authorisation and full compliance support.
PSP
Payment Service Provider licensing across EU member states.
EMI
Electronic Money Institution authorisation and ongoing compliance.
MiFID2
Investment services regulatory framework and compliance support.
Stablecoin Issuance
E-money token authorisation under MiCA, and venue strategy beyond.
Switzerland
FINMA, SRO affiliation and the DLT framework (non-EU).
Policy Advocacy
Direct engagement with EU regulators and policymakers.
Consultation & Strategy
Tailored regulatory strategy and commercial guidance for EU markets.
FCA Crypto Authorisation
The UK's new cryptoasset regime: applications open September 2026.
EMI
FCA Electronic Money Institution authorisation and compliance.
Policy Advocacy
Engagement with UK regulators and policymakers.
Consultation & Strategy
Tailored regulatory strategy and commercial guidance for UK markets.
VARA
Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority licensing and compliance.
ADGM
Abu Dhabi Global Market financial services licensing.
DIFC
DFSA authorisation in Dubai's common-law financial centre.
Policy Advocacy
Engagement with UAE regulators and policymakers.
Consultation & Strategy
Tailored regulatory strategy and commercial guidance for UAE markets.
US Licensing Roadmap
MSB, state MTLs, BitLicense and GENIUS: the maze, mapped.
Canada MSB
FINTRAC registration: the fast North America entry point.
Brazil VASP
Central Bank VASP authorisation in LatAm's biggest market.
El Salvador
DASP licensing and the digital securities regime.
Cayman & BVI
Offshore VASP registration and licensing, done properly.
Regulatory Entry
Jurisdiction mapping and market entry across Latin America.
Policy Advocacy
Engagement with regional regulators and policymakers.
Consultation & Strategy
Tailored regulatory strategy and commercial guidance for LATAM markets.
Hong Kong
SFC VATP licensing and the HKMA stablecoin regime.
Singapore
MAS payment services and DPT licensing.
Regulatory Entry
Jurisdiction mapping and market entry across Asian markets.
Policy Advocacy
Engagement with regional regulators and policymakers.
Consultation & Strategy
Tailored regulatory strategy and commercial guidance for Asian markets.
Kenya VASP
VASP Act 2025 licensing: the window closes November 2026.
South Africa CASP
FSCA licensing in Africa's largest regulated crypto market.
Nigeria
SEC digital asset licensing under the ISA 2025 framework.
VASP Licence
Virtual Asset Service Provider licensing across African markets.
Policy Advocacy
Engagement with African regulators and policymakers.
Consultation & Strategy
Tailored regulatory strategy and commercial guidance for African markets.
Corporate Governance
AI governance frameworks aligned with emerging global regulation.
Advocacy
Engagement with AI policymakers and standards bodies.
Consultation & Strategy
Tailored AI regulatory strategy and commercial guidance.
Other Services
End-to-end regulatory support
From compliance to hiring and go-to-market, we support every stage of your growth.
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Corporate Structuring
Licensing is not a box-ticking exercise. We support clients from early planning through authorisation, engaging directly with regulators to ensure a credible and efficient process.
End-to-end support preparing submissions that reflect both regulatory expectations and real operating models, with direct regulator engagement throughout.
Sourcing and placing regulatory, compliance, and legal specialists who understand the digital asset and fintech landscape across all major jurisdictions.
Jurisdiction selection and licensing scope aligned with your products, markets, and growth plans. Focused on where licensing truly makes sense for your business.
Buy or sell licensed companies. Often the fastest route to market: we source targets, run regulatory due diligence, and manage the change-of-control approval end to end.
Every licensed business needs rails. We introduce banking partners, KYC and transaction-monitoring providers, and market makers from our established network.
“From the very beginning, BlockReg Advisors and its team of experts explained the process of becoming authorised in the EU in great detail. We are currently finalising our MiCA authorisation.”
JD
Jane Doe
Head of Compliance
“BlockReg Advisors has stood by our side for many years and supported us with complex licencing projects. Their team is comprised of legal experts in different jurisdictions including Poland, UK and Malta.”
“BlockReg Advisors is currently supporting us with a MiCA authorisation in Malta. The communication and expertise have been outstanding throughout the process.”
“The team at BlockReg Advisors is comprised of regulatory and policy experts. We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with them and can always rely on their thorough technical analysis.”
“BlockReg Advisors is able to support us in many capacities across multiple jurisdictions. They coordinated efforts in securing authorisation for USDT on the TRON network.”
“From the very beginning, BlockReg Advisors and its team of experts explained the process of becoming authorised in the EU in great detail. We are currently finalising our MiCA authorisation.”
JD
Jane Doe
Head of Compliance
“BlockReg Advisors has stood by our side for many years and supported us with complex licencing projects. Their team is comprised of legal experts in different jurisdictions including Poland, UK and Malta.”
“BlockReg Advisors is currently supporting us with a MiCA authorisation in Malta. The communication and expertise have been outstanding throughout the process.”
“The team at BlockReg Advisors is comprised of regulatory and policy experts. We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with them and can always rely on their thorough technical analysis.”
“BlockReg Advisors is able to support us in many capacities across multiple jurisdictions. They coordinated efforts in securing authorisation for USDT on the TRON network.”
Regulatory and policy specialists bringing deep expertise and practical insight to every engagement.
Francesca Salierno
Executive Director
Marvin Mobio
Partnerships and Innovation Lead
Malgorzata Owczarska
Attorney at Law
António Garcia Rolo
Senior Consultant
Jörn Jakob Röber
Head of EU Policy
Norberto de Andrade
AI Policy Consultant
Hugo Rodriguez
Head of Latin America
Timothy Shin
Senior Advisor
Breitner Nyantika
Africa Regulatory Consultant
Get In Touch
Let's Discuss Your Next Move
Schedule a call with our advisory team to explore your regulatory, licensing, and compliance objectives. We typically respond within 24 hours.
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CASP Licence (Crypto-Asset Service Provider)
What is a CASP licence?
A CASP licence enables businesses to legally provide crypto-asset services across the EU, in compliance with the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) framework.
Transition from VASP to CASP
With the introduction of MiCA, the previous VASP regimes at national level are being replaced by a harmonised EU-wide CASP framework.
Existing VASPs must transition to CASP authorisation within the applicable regulatory timeframe
Firms that fail to transition may lose the ability to operate legally in the EU
The new regime introduces stricter compliance, governance, and capital requirements
Early preparation is essential to ensure business continuity and regulatory approval
CASP Classes Explained
CASP licences are generally categorized into three classes:
CLASS 1 — Basic Services
Reception and transmission of orders
Providing advice on crypto-assets
CLASS 2 — Intermediate Services
Includes Class 1 services, plus:
Execution of orders on behalf of clients
Placing of crypto-assets
Transfer services
CLASS 3 — Full-Service / Higher-Risk Activities
Includes Class 1 & 2 services, plus:
Custody and safeguarding of client assets
Operating trading platforms (exchanges)
Dealing on own account
Each class carries progressively higher requirements in capital thresholds, compliance and governance frameworks, and risk management and security controls.
An Issuer Licence is required for businesses that create and offer crypto-assets to the public within the EU, under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation framework.
What is an Issuer Licence?
It applies to entities that issue tokens or digital assets, ensuring transparency, investor protection, and compliance with regulatory standards.
Types of Issuers
Under MiCA, issuers are generally divided based on the type of crypto-asset:
Utility Token Issuers
Tokens providing access to a product or service
Must publish a clear and compliant whitepaper
No prior authorisation required in some cases, but strict disclosure rules apply
Asset-Referenced Token (ART) Issuers
Tokens backed by multiple assets (e.g. currencies, commodities)
Subject to authorisation and stricter regulatory oversight
Higher capital, governance, and reserve requirements
E-Money Token (EMT) Issuers
Stablecoins linked to a single fiat currency
Can only be issued by authorised credit or electronic money institutions
We advise firms on regulatory strategy across African markets, helping you understand the fragmented regulatory landscape, identify the most viable licensing pathways, and build compliant operations. Our support covers market entry planning, risk assessment, and compliance programme design — helping you navigate a continent with significant growth potential and increasingly formalised regulatory frameworks.
Kenya’s Virtual Asset Service Providers Act is in force, splitting supervision between the Central Bank of Kenya and the Capital Markets Authority, with a transition window for existing operators running to November 2026. The first movers will define East Africa’s anchor market. We deliver regulator and category mapping, Kenyan entity structuring and the application, with our established Kenyan partner counsel who have advised on the framework since before enactment.
Nigeria has more crypto users than any other African market, and the direction is now set: the Investments and Securities Act 2025 brought digital assets under the SEC, which licenses exchanges and service providers. The market is enormous, the rules are young, and local navigation matters. We deliver regulatory mapping and the application with Nigerian counsel, sequenced within a wider Africa strategy alongside Kenya and South Africa.
We engage with African regulatory bodies — including the FSCA, SEC Nigeria, CMA Kenya, and others — to represent client interests and contribute to the development of effective, proportionate crypto regulatory frameworks across the continent. Our advocacy work helps shape regulation that supports responsible innovation while protecting consumers and maintaining financial system integrity.
South Africa declared crypto assets a financial product and the FSCA has licensed hundreds of crypto asset service providers, making it the continent’s most developed regime, with active enforcement against unlicensed activity. We deliver scope analysis under the FAIS framework, the application build with South African counsel (including the key-individual preparation that decides timelines), and FSCA engagement through to licence.
Africa is an emerging frontier for virtual asset regulation, with frameworks developing rapidly across South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, and other markets. We help firms obtain VASP licences and navigate local regulatory requirements — from FSCA registration in South Africa and SEC Nigeria compliance, to understanding the evolving regulatory landscape across East and West Africa for digital asset businesses.
We engage with the European Commission, UK AI Safety Institute, ISO working groups, and other bodies shaping global AI regulation. Our advocacy work ensures your organisation’s perspective is represented in the policy process and that you are positioned ahead of regulatory developments that could materially impact your AI-driven products and services — particularly at the intersection of AI, financial services, and digital assets.
We help firms understand how AI regulation intersects with their specific business — particularly where AI meets financial services, digital assets, and crypto. Our advisory covers regulatory risk mapping, compliance programme design, AI system documentation requirements, and strategic planning to ensure your AI deployment is both commercially effective and compliant with current and forthcoming regulation across all relevant jurisdictions.
As AI regulation accelerates globally, robust corporate governance is essential. We help firms design and implement AI governance frameworks aligned with the EU AI Act, UK AI principles, and emerging global standards. Our support covers risk classification, accountability structures, transparency obligations, board-level oversight mechanisms, and building the internal policies and controls that regulators are increasingly expecting from AI-deploying financial services firms.
We advise firms on regulatory strategy across key Asian markets, helping you select the right jurisdiction, structure your operating model, navigate licensing processes, and build compliance programmes aligned with local regulatory expectations. Our support is commercially grounded and designed to accelerate market entry while ensuring sustainable, long-term regulatory compliance.
Hong Kong has repositioned itself as Asia’s regulated digital-asset hub: VATP licensing for trading platforms under the SFC (with retail access under safeguards) and a stablecoin ordinance under the HKMA. The openness is real; so is the scrutiny. We deliver eligibility assessment, the application build and regulator engagement with established local partners, and we plan the external systems assessments into the timeline rather than discovering them late.
We engage with MAS, the SFC, FSA, and other Asian regulatory bodies to represent client interests in the evolving digital asset regulatory space. Our advocacy work includes consultation submissions, direct regulator engagement, and participation in industry working groups — helping you stay ahead of regulatory change and ensuring your perspective is considered in the policy-making process across the region.
Asia encompasses some of the world’s most significant crypto markets, including Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea. We help firms navigate MAS, SFC, FSA, and other regulatory frameworks to identify the optimal market entry point, understand licensing requirements, assess operating model implications, and build compliant business structures suited to each jurisdiction’s unique regulatory expectations.
A MAS licence is Asia’s strongest institutional signal, precisely because MAS is selective: applications succeed on governance depth, technology risk management and credible local leadership. We give an honest go/no-go assessment before you spend, then deliver the application build and MAS engagement with qualified Singapore counsel, including the local substance planning (resident directors, permanent place of business) the regulator expects.
Our EU strategic advisory service helps you map the regulatory landscape, select the optimal licensing jurisdiction, and build a commercially sound compliance strategy. We translate complex EU regulation into clear, actionable business decisions — from initial market entry through scaling operations across member states. Every strategy is tailored to your business model, risk appetite, and growth objectives.
Electronic Money Institution authorisation under EMD2 enables firms to issue e-money and provide related payment services across the European Economic Area. We support the full licensing lifecycle: initial authorisation strategy, capital structure, safeguarding arrangements, AML/CTF frameworks, and ongoing supervisory engagement to ensure your licence remains in good standing as your business scales.
Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) is the EU’s landmark framework governing crypto-asset service providers and issuers. We guide firms through the full authorisation process — from eligibility assessment and entity structuring to application preparation and direct engagement with national competent authorities. Our support covers CASP registration, token issuer obligations, whitepaper requirements, AML/CTF frameworks, and ongoing compliance obligations post-authorisation.
MiFID2 governs the provision of investment services across the EU, including firms operating crypto-asset products that fall within its scope. We assist investment firms and crypto businesses in obtaining authorisation, establishing governance and compliance frameworks, meeting best execution and transparency obligations, and maintaining ongoing compliance with ESMA guidelines and national regulator expectations.
We engage directly with EU institutions — including the European Commission, ESMA, EBA, and national competent authorities — on behalf of our clients. Our advocacy work includes consultation responses, position papers, regulatory sandbox applications, and stakeholder engagement to shape regulation in your favour. We ensure your voice is heard in the policy-making process and that you are positioned ahead of regulatory developments.
Payment Service Provider licensing under PSD2 allows firms to offer payment initiation, account information, and money remittance services across the EU. We manage the entire application lifecycle — from regulatory business plan drafting and capital adequacy assessment to AML/CTF policy design and regulator engagement — helping you launch compliantly in your chosen EU jurisdiction with a robust operational foundation from day one.
Fiat-referencing stablecoins for the EU market are e-money tokens under MiCA: they must be issued by an authorised e-money institution or credit institution, with full reserve, redemption-at-par and disclosure obligations. Non-compliant tokens have been delisted for EEA users since 2025. We deliver the whole route: venue selection across MiCA, the US GENIUS Act, Hong Kong and UAE regimes; written regulatory mapping of your token and reserve structure; the authorisation itself; and the ongoing reserve, attestation and disclosure obligations designed into your operating model.
Switzerland remains the credibility jurisdiction: Crypto Valley, banking access for good projects, and a framework institutions trust. The entry point is often not a FINMA licence but the right SRO affiliation for the activity, with the fintech licence, securities authorisation and the DLT trading facility available as models grow. We map your business to the lightest route that actually covers it and deliver it with Swiss counsel.
Brazil’s Central Bank has brought its VASP authorisation regime into force, with defined categories for intermediaries, brokers and custodians and transition arrangements for firms already operating. It is the largest crypto market in Latin America, and for the first time there is a clear, supervised route in. We deliver category analysis, Brazilian entity structuring and the application in Portuguese, with our Brazil-anchored team and local counsel.
For crypto and payment businesses that need a North American footprint without the fifty-state maze, Canada’s MSB registration with FINTRAC covers dealing in virtual currency and money transfer, and a well-prepared filing completes in weeks. We deliver the classification, the compliance programme behind the registration, and the operational reporting setup, positioned correctly alongside your US, EU and UK obligations.
The Cayman Islands and the BVI remain the default offshore homes for crypto groups, funds and token issuers, and both now run real VASP regimes with genuine AML expectations. Used correctly they are efficient and respected; used casually they generate regulator questions later. We structure them the way serious groups do: as clean, compliant components of a multi-jurisdiction setup, alongside onshore licences where your customers are.
We advise firms on regulatory strategy across LATAM markets, translating complex and fragmented local requirements into clear commercial roadmaps. Our support covers jurisdiction selection, licensing strategy, compliance programme design, and ongoing regulatory monitoring — helping you scale confidently across a region that is increasingly important for digital asset adoption and financial innovation.
El Salvador built the most crypto-forward framework in the Americas: DASP licensing and a digital-securities regime that has attracted serious tokenisation businesses. For firms that need a credible licence quickly, or a base for digital-securities issuance, it deserves a place on the shortlist. We deliver scope analysis, local entity and substance with local counsel, and the application end to end, with an honest view of where the licence carries weight and where it needs supplementing.
We engage with regulators across Latin America — including Banco Central do Brasil, CNBV in Mexico, and other national authorities — to represent client interests in the evolving crypto and fintech regulatory landscape. Our regional advocacy work includes consultation submissions, stakeholder engagement, and strategic regulatory dialogue to support your long-term operating environment across the region.
Latin America presents diverse and rapidly evolving regulatory environments across Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and beyond. We help firms map the regulatory landscape in each target market, identify applicable licensing requirements, assess jurisdictional risk, and build a compliant market entry strategy. Our team has experience working with local regulators and understanding the nuances of each country’s approach to crypto and fintech regulation.
There is no single US crypto licence: FinCEN MSB registration at federal level, money transmitter licences state by state, New York’s BitLicense, and the GENIUS Act for stablecoin issuers. Firms fail in the US by sequencing it wrong, not by lacking ambition. We deliver an honest, prioritised route map and coordinate execution with qualified US counsel, integrated with your licensing everywhere else.
The Abu Dhabi Global Market is a leading international financial centre with a progressive and well-developed digital assets regulatory framework administered by the FSRA. We guide firms through the full FSRA authorisation process for digital asset activities — including application preparation, governance structuring, AML/CTF policy design, and post-authorisation compliance management — helping you establish a credible and sustainable presence in Abu Dhabi.
We help businesses identify the right UAE jurisdiction — VARA in Dubai, ADGM in Abu Dhabi, or DIFC — based on their product offering, risk profile, and commercial objectives. Our strategic advisory covers market entry planning, licensing pathway selection, entity structuring, and building robust compliance programmes suited to the UAE’s rapidly evolving regulatory environment for digital assets.
The Dubai International Financial Centre is where institutional finance sits in Dubai: asset managers, investment firms, funds and, under the DFSA’s crypto token regime, digital-asset businesses serving professional markets. If your model is closer to securities than to retail crypto, the DIFC is often the better Dubai. We resolve the VARA-versus-ADGM-versus-DIFC question first, then deliver the DFSA application end to end.
We engage with VARA, the FSRA, CBUAE, and other UAE regulatory authorities on behalf of clients to represent their interests in the regulatory process. Our UAE advocacy services include consultation submissions, direct regulatory engagement strategies, and liaison with policymakers to help shape the UAE’s virtual asset regulatory environment in a way that supports responsible innovation and business growth.
The Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority governs the virtual asset sector in Dubai. We support firms through the full VARA licensing process — from initial eligibility assessment and licence category selection, to application preparation, compliance framework design, and ongoing supervisory engagement. Our team has direct experience navigating VARA’s requirements across VASP, exchange, broker-dealer, and advisory licence categories.
We help firms understand the UK regulatory perimeter, identify the right authorisation pathway, and build a compliance strategy aligned with FCA expectations. Whether entering the UK market for the first time or scaling existing operations, we provide commercially grounded regulatory guidance that accounts for the unique dynamics of the UK’s approach to digital asset and payments regulation.
FCA Electronic Money Institution authorisation enables firms to issue e-money and provide payment services in the United Kingdom. We support the full application process — regulatory business plan drafting, safeguarding framework design, AML/CTF policy preparation, and direct FCA engagement. We also assist with post-authorisation compliance obligations, variation of permissions, and ongoing FCA supervisory relationship management.
The UK’s Cryptoassets Regulations were made in February 2026: licence applications open in September 2026 and the regime takes effect on 25 October 2027. Firms that want to keep serving UK customers must be authorised by then, and existing FCA cryptoasset (MLR) registrations do not carry over. We prepare the application end to end — gap analysis against the new regulated activities, the regulatory business plan, systems and controls, and FCA engagement through to authorisation. Early, complete applications will move fastest; preparation can begin today.
We engage with the FCA, HM Treasury, and the Bank of England on behalf of clients navigating the UK’s evolving crypto and payments regulatory landscape. Our advocacy work includes FCA consultation responses, direct regulatory engagement, sandbox applications, and policy monitoring to protect and advance your business interests in an environment of significant post-Brexit regulatory divergence.
