🇦🇹 Austria vs 🇨🇾 Cyprus: crypto licensing compared
Austria and Cyprus take recognisably different routes to crypto authorisation. In Austria the route is the MiCA CASP Authorisation granted by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) overseen by Finanzmarktaufsicht (FMA) Österreich; in Cyprus it is the MiCA CASP Authorisation granted by CySEC; existing Cyprus Investment Firms (CIFs) can extend their licence to cover crypto-asset services under a simplified process under Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) - sole National Competent Authority for MiCA in Cyprus. The two regimes differ on 6 of 9 tracked decision dimensions, including timeline to authorisation and local substance. The free columns below are open to everyone; the decision figures unlock with a pass, each one dated and sourced.
Austria: verified 2026-07-03 · Cyprus: verified 2026-07-03
| Dimension |
🇦🇹 Austria
partly open
Verified 2026-07-03
|
🇨🇾 Cyprus
partly open
Verified 2026-07-03
|
|---|---|---|
| Licence type | MiCA CASP Authorisation granted by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) | MiCA CASP Authorisation granted by CySEC; existing Cyprus Investment Firms (CIFs) can extend their licence to cover crypto-asset services under a simplified process |
| Regulator | Finanzmarktaufsicht (FMA) Österreich | Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) - sole National Competent Authority for MiCA in Cyprus |
| Capital requirement | Austria capital requirement is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Cyprus capital requirement is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Timeline to authorisation | Austria timeline to authorisation is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Cyprus timeline to authorisation is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Local substance | Austria local substance is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Cyprus local substance is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Application cost | Austria application cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Cyprus application cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Ongoing cost | Austria ongoing cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Cyprus ongoing cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Passporting | Austria passporting is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Cyprus passporting is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| MiCA CASPs approved | Austria mica casps approved is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Cyprus mica casps approved is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Key restrictions | Austria key restrictions is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Cyprus key restrictions is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Recent changes | Austria set 30 June 2026 as the end of its transitional regime (shorter runway than the EU default 1 July 2026 deadline), creating pressure for existing FM-GwG registered VASPs to secure full CASP authorisation; Bybit reported as licensed in Austria per exchange-tracking source | CySEC set a hard 27 February 2026 deadline for existing national-regime CASPs to submit MiCA applications; preliminary assessment phase opened 13 Nov 2024, formal applications from 1 Jan 2025; national transitional regime and full MiCA regime now running in parallel toward the 1 July 2026 EU-wide cutover |
| Difficulty rating | Austria difficulty rating is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Cyprus difficulty rating is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
The two regimes differ on 6 of 9 tracked decision dimensions, including timeline to authorisation and local substance. Unlock the pass to see each figure with its source and verification date.
What changed recently
🇦🇹 Austria (verified 2026-07-02): Austria set 30 June 2026 as the end of its transitional regime (shorter runway than the EU default 1 July 2026 deadline), creating pressure for existing FM-GwG registered VASPs to secure full CASP authorisation; Bybit reported as licensed in Austria per exchange-tracking source
🇨🇾 Cyprus (verified 2026-07-02): CySEC set a hard 27 February 2026 deadline for existing national-regime CASPs to submit MiCA applications; preliminary assessment phase opened 13 Nov 2024, formal applications from 1 Jan 2025; national transitional regime and full MiCA regime now running in parallel toward the 1 July 2026 EU-wide cutover
Quick answers
Who regulates crypto licensing in Austria and Cyprus?
Austria: Finanzmarktaufsicht (FMA) Österreich. Cyprus: Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) - sole National Competent Authority for MiCA in Cyprus.
What licence do you need in Austria compared with Cyprus?
In Austria the authorisation route is MiCA CASP Authorisation granted by the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA); in Cyprus it is MiCA CASP Authorisation granted by CySEC; existing Cyprus Investment Firms (CIFs) can extend their licence to cover crypto-asset services under a simplified process. The comparison table on this page lines the two up dimension by dimension.
Where can I see the full Austria vs Cyprus comparison?
The interactive benchmark lets you pin either jurisdiction and add up to five peers; a Founder Pass or Pro subscription unlocks every gated figure with its source and verification date. This page stays free at /crypto/compare/austria-vs-cyprus.
Informational only, not legal advice. Every open figure carries its own verification date; verify with qualified counsel before acting.