Bitvavo, largest EUR spot exchange, secures MiCA license from the Netherlands

European crypto exchange Bitvavo became the latest major exchange to become licensed under the EU's Markets in Crypto Assets regulation, granting it the ability to offer its services to 27 European Union member states. 

Bitvavo was granted the license by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM). "We highly value the constructive collaboration with the AFM throughout this process," the exchange's chief risk officer, Jeetan Patel, said in a statement. "It has progressed efficiently."

Bitvavo is currently the largest EUR spot exchange worldwide. The exchange joins Coinbase and Kraken in recently gaining a MiCA license. Coinbase secured its license in Luxembourg, while Ireland issued a license to Kraken. The Netherlands has also issued MiCA licenses to MoonPay and three other crypto firms; those licenses were granted near the end of 2024. 

MiCA, which came into full effect at the end of last year, provides a single comprehensive regulatory framework for cryptocurrency firms across the European Union. "For a level playing field in Europe, it is essential that the rules are formulated and enforced consistently across all member states," Bitvavo CEO Mark Nuvelstijn said. "This licence provides clarity, confidence, and enables Bitvavo to fulfil its ambition: to become the leading digital asset trading platform in Europe."

Crypto exchange Gemini is also said to be in the final stages of gaining MiCA approval from Malta, The Block previously reported.