Since 1 July 2026 only providers authorised under the EU's MiCA regulation may offer crypto services to customers in the EU. The proof is a public list: the ESMA interim MiCA register. We downloaded it on 7 November 2026 and looked up the exchanges people ask about most. The result corrects some common beliefs. Kraken's authorised entity sits in Ireland, not at BaFin. Coinbase's sits in Luxembourg. Binance does not appear in the register at all. This guide shows how to check any provider yourself, what we found, and what a register entry does and does not tell you. It is not a recommendation of any exchange.
Notice: general information, not financial advice. The register changes weekly; the figures below are from the file as downloaded on 7 November 2026, whose latest entry update is dated 3 November 2026. We read ESMA's CSV files, not BaFin's own database, which our tools could not load. An entry means a provider is authorised or has notified for the listed services; it says nothing about fees, security or quality.
The short version
- Where to look: ESMA publishes the interim MiCA register as CSV files on its MiCA page: one for authorised crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) and one for non-compliant entities.
- Size: the CASP file we downloaded has 397 rows; 125 have Germany as home state, 36 France, 29 the Netherlands, and 319 list Germany among the countries where they may serve clients.
- Check the legal entity, not the brand. Several groups appear under more than one entity and authority.
- Check the services. An authorisation covers only the listed services, for example custody, operating a trading platform or exchanging crypto for funds.
- Binance: we found no entry under that name or its website, nor for MEXC, Bitget or HTX. Binance itself told customers it had no MiCA licence by 30 June 2026.
What the register shows for well-known exchanges
Entries as downloaded on 7 November 2026. "Authority" is the home-state regulator named in the file. All the entities below list Germany among the countries where they may provide services, except where stated.
| Brand | Authorised entity | Authority | Date in register |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kraken | Payward Europe Solutions Limited (Ireland) | Central Bank of Ireland | 25 June 2025 |
| Coinbase | Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. | CSSF (Luxembourg) | 20 June 2025 |
| Bitstamp | Bitstamp Europe S.A. | CSSF (Luxembourg) | 15 May 2025 |
| Bitvavo | Bitvavo B.V. | AFM (Netherlands) | 26 June 2025 |
| Bybit | Bybit EU GmbH (website bybit.eu) | FMA (Austria) | 28 May 2025 |
| KuCoin | KuCoin EU Exchange GmbH (website kucoin.eu) | FMA (Austria) | 27 November 2025 |
| BingX | MEGE zweite GmbH (website bingx.eu) | FMA (Austria) | 13 October 2026 |
| Bitpanda | Bitpanda GmbH (Austria); Bitpanda Asset Management GmbH (Germany); BP23 CA Limited (Malta) | FMA; BaFin; MFSA | 9 April 2025; 24 January 2025; 27 January 2025 |
| OKX | OKX Europe Limited | MFSA (Malta) | 27 January 2025 |
| Crypto.com | Foris DAX MT Limited | MFSA (Malta) | 27 January 2025 |
| Gemini | Gemini Intergalactic EU Ltd | MFSA (Malta) | 21 August 2025 |
Three details matter. First, the Bitpanda entity in Malta, BP23 CA Limited, does not list Germany among its countries, while the Austrian and German Bitpanda entities do; so which entity you contract with matters. Second, for Bybit, KuCoin and BingX the register gives the EU-specific website (bybit.eu, kucoin.eu, bingx.eu) for the authorised entity. We did not check what each group's global website offers to EU residents; read the terms to see which entity you sign with. Third, Kraken has two entries in Ireland; only Payward Europe Solutions Limited lists Germany.
Not in the register
Searching names, legal names and website fields, we found no entry for Binance, MEXC, Bitget or HTX. "We found no entry" is a statement about the file on 7 November, not a legal finding about those companies. In Binance's case the company has said so itself: its notice to customers states that it "was not granted a MiCA license by 30 June 2026". See our July report and the account closure notice.
Banks and brokers on the list
The register is not only exchanges. Many banks notified under MiCA's simplified route for already-authorised firms, including, as of 7 November, Trade Republic Bank GmbH (28 April 2025), N26 Bank SE (14 May 2025), Scalable Capital Bank GmbH (2 March 2026) and Deutsche Bank AG (12 October 2026), all with BaFin as authority, and dozens of cooperative banks. Each is listed for specific services; being in the register does not tell you whether a given bank lets you buy bitcoin, so check the services and the bank's own offer.
How to check a provider yourself
- Find the legal entity. In the provider's imprint or terms, find the company name and registration. Brand names are not what the register lists.
- Open the CASP file from ESMA's MiCA page in a spreadsheet and search the entity name (column ae_lei_name), the brand (ae_commercial_name) or the website.
- Read the row. Note the authority, the date, the services (letter codes: a custody, b trading platform, c exchange for funds, d exchange for other crypto, e order execution, f placing, g order reception, h advice, i portfolio management, j transfers) and the countries where services may be provided.
- Match the services to what you want. To buy bitcoin with euros you want code c, or a trading platform (b) with a way to deposit euros.
- Check the second file. ESMA also publishes a list of entities that authorities have flagged as non-compliant; the one we downloaded has 189 rows and is mostly websites flagged by national authorities.
- Be wary of look-alike sites. Type the address yourself. Our scams guide explains impersonation.
What changed from our earlier guide
An earlier version of this page, written in Germany's context in April 2026, said that Kraken held its licence directly from BaFin, that Coinbase was licensed in Ireland, that Binance operated in Germany through a Greek authorisation, that Gemini and BingX had no authorisation, and gave fee tables and statements about mandatory proof of reserves. The register we downloaded does not support the first four statements, and we could not verify the others. We have replaced that page's content with what we can show. Fee comparisons are best taken from the providers' own fee pages.
What an entry does not tell you
- Quality. An authorised provider can still have high spreads, poor support or a security failure. Look at costs: see what ESMA says about "zero commission" offers.
- Your protection in a specific case. Rules on safeguarding client assets apply to authorised providers, and ESMA's proposals in the MiCA review would change some of them.
- The future. The register is interim and updated continuously; entries can be added or ended.
If you live in Germany
For providers based in Germany the competent authority is BaFin, and the register shows 125 rows with Germany as home state. Providers based elsewhere in the EU can serve German customers if their entry lists Germany among the countries, as most of those above do. For a first purchase, the steps in our German buying guide still apply, and our tax return guide covers records.
What we could not verify
- BaFin's own register and its wording: its page could not be loaded by our tools.
- Which exact products each listed entity offers to retail clients, and at what fees.
- Whether any entity listed after 3 November 2026 has been added or ended since we downloaded the file.
Frequently asked questions
Does an exchange need a BaFin licence to serve Germans?
No. Under MiCA, a provider authorised in another EU country can serve German customers if its entry lists Germany among the countries, as most large exchanges' EU entities do. BaFin is the authority only for providers based in Germany.
Which authority licenses Kraken in the EU?
In the register, Kraken's entities are authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland.
Is Binance authorised under MiCA?
We found no Binance entry in the ESMA register on 7 November 2026, and Binance has said it did not obtain a MiCA licence by 30 June 2026.
Does being in the register make an exchange safe?
No. It shows authorisation for specific services. It says nothing about fees, security or whether the provider will fail.
Where is the register?
On ESMA's MiCA page, as CSV files for authorised CASPs and for non-compliant entities.
Sources
- ESMA, MiCA page with the interim register; files CASPS.csv and NCASP.csv downloaded 7 November 2026 (latest entry update 3 November 2026).
- Binance notice to customers of Binance Italy, quoted in our report.
Limits: counts and entries are from one download and may have changed. Letter codes are ESMA's service codes as used in the file. This guide is general information and not financial advice.