🇪🇪 Estonia vs 🇱🇹 Lithuania: crypto licensing compared
Decision context and regulator route
Choosing between Estonia and Lithuania for a crypto licence starts with who you will answer to: Finantsinspektsioon (Estonian Financial Supervision and Resolution Authority) on one side, Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas) - single competent authority. Publicly selective stance: wants few, solid firms rather than the ~370-strong legacy VASP pool. on the other, via the MiCA CASP authorisation; implemented via the Crypto-Assets Market Act (Kruptovarade turu seadus, KrüTS), in force 1 July 2024. and the MiCA Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) authorisation under Title V of Reg (EU) 2023/1114; replaced the national VASP registration. Single passportable licence covering the services applied for. respectively. The public fields are shown below, with the full dated and sourced comparison included with access.
Estonia: verified 2026-08-15 · Lithuania: verified 2026-08-15
| Dimension |
🇪🇪 Estonia
partly open
Verified 2026-08-15
|
🇱🇹 Lithuania
partly open
Verified 2026-08-15
|
|---|---|---|
| Licence type | MiCA CASP authorisation; implemented via the Crypto-Assets Market Act (Kruptovarade turu seadus, KrüTS), in force 1 July 2024. | MiCA Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) authorisation under Title V of Reg (EU) 2023/1114; replaced the national VASP registration. Single passportable licence covering the services applied for. |
| Regulator | Finantsinspektsioon (Estonian Financial Supervision and Resolution Authority) | Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas) - single competent authority. Publicly selective stance: wants few, solid firms rather than the ~370-strong legacy VASP pool. |
| Capital requirement | Estonia capital requirement is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania capital requirement is included in the £349 pass. |
| Timeline to authorisation | Estonia timeline to authorisation is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania timeline to authorisation is included in the £349 pass. |
| Local substance | Estonia local substance is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania local substance is included in the £349 pass. |
| Application cost | Estonia application cost is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania application cost is included in the £349 pass. |
| Ongoing cost | Estonia ongoing cost is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania ongoing cost is included in the £349 pass. |
| Passporting | Estonia passporting is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania passporting is included in the £349 pass. |
| MiCA CASPs approved | Estonia mica casps approved is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania mica casps approved is included in the £349 pass. |
| Key restrictions | Estonia key restrictions is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania key restrictions is included in the £349 pass. |
| Recent changes | Estonia's VASP population collapsed from 641 valid licences (mid-2021 peak) to 36 remaining by early 2026; as of recent reporting only one entity (Lightspark Payments Europe AS) had received full MiCA CASP authorisation. From 18 March 2026, CASP applications must go through FI's new application portal. | Lithuania used a shortened 12-month grandfathering - legacy VASP cover ended 1 Jan 2026 (vs the EU 1 Jul 2026 backstop). First CASP: Robinhood Europe (29 May 2025); only ~4 CASPs authorised by Mar 2026. |
| Difficulty rating | Estonia difficulty rating is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania difficulty rating is included in the £349 pass. |
Unlock the pass to see each gated figure with its source and verification date.
What changed recently
🇪🇪 Estonia (verified 2026-07-15): Estonia's VASP population collapsed from 641 valid licences (mid-2021 peak) to 36 remaining by early 2026; as of recent reporting only one entity (Lightspark Payments Europe AS) had received full MiCA CASP authorisation. From 18 March 2026, CASP applications must go through FI's new application portal.
🇱🇹 Lithuania (verified 2026-08-15): Lithuania used a shortened 12-month grandfathering - legacy VASP cover ended 1 Jan 2026 (vs the EU 1 Jul 2026 backstop). First CASP: Robinhood Europe (29 May 2025); only ~4 CASPs authorised by Mar 2026.
Quick answers
Who regulates crypto licensing in Estonia and Lithuania?
Estonia: Finantsinspektsioon (Estonian Financial Supervision and Resolution Authority). Lithuania: Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas) - single competent authority. Publicly selective stance: wants few, solid firms rather than the ~370-strong legacy VASP pool..
What licence do you need in Estonia compared with Lithuania?
In Estonia the authorisation route is MiCA CASP authorisation; implemented via the Crypto-Assets Market Act (Kruptovarade turu seadus, KrüTS), in force 1 July 2024.; in Lithuania it is MiCA Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) authorisation under Title V of Reg (EU) 2023/1114; replaced the national VASP registration. Single passportable licence covering the services applied for.. The comparison table on this page lines the two up dimension by dimension.
Where can I see the full Estonia vs Lithuania 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/estonia-vs-lithuania.
Informational only, not legal advice. Every open figure carries its own verification date; verify with qualified counsel before acting.