Key Takeaways:
- Regulatory Milestone: MoonPay secured a MiCA license, granting it permission to operate in the Netherlands under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets framework.
- Strategic Timing: The approval aligns with MiCA’s implementation phase completion, enabling compliance during the EU’s 18-month transitional period ending July 2026.
- Core Services: MoonPay continues to facilitate fiat-to-crypto and crypto-to-fiat transactions while exploring strategic acquisitions, highlighting its industry influence.
MoonPay, a crypto payments platform, has received a license to operate in the Netherlands under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework.
Announced on December 30, this approval from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets aligns MoonPay with MiCA regulations, marking a significant milestone as the framework’s provisions become fully enforceable across the EU.
🏆 achievement unlocked
— MoonPay 🟣 (@moonpay) December 30, 2024
✅ we've received approval under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation in The Netherlands
🌍 this enables MoonPay to innovate crypto payments across Europe!
🫡 2025 is going to be big pic.twitter.com/adLjntXhLo
The license allows MoonPay to continue offering fiat-to-crypto and crypto-to-fiat services within the Dutch regulatory framework.
Ivan Soto-Wright, MoonPay’s co-founder and CEO, emphasized the approval as a critical step in establishing the crypto industry’s global economic significance.
MiCA’s implementation has entered an 18-month transitional phase, allowing compliant crypto firms to continue operations while pursuing full MiCA approval.
This transitional period extends until July 2026 unless authorities make specific rulings.
Founded in 2018, MoonPay is a prominent enabler of fiat-to-crypto transactions, with integrations on platforms like PayPal.
The company has also been exploring acquisitions, reportedly considering a $150 million purchase of Helio Pay.
MiCA, proposed in 2020 and adopted in 2023, provides a comprehensive regulatory framework for the EU crypto sector.
Stablecoins have been under MiCA enforcement since June 2023, prompting operational adjustments across the industry.