🇩🇪 Germany vs 🇱🇹 Lithuania: crypto licensing compared
Decision context and regulator route
Germany and Lithuania are commonly considered side by side for crypto authorisation. In Germany the route is the MiCA CASP authorisation granted by BaFin under national law FinmadiG/KMAG; replaces the legacy KWG crypto-custody business licence, with a simplified transition for existing KWG-licensed firms. overseen by BaFin (Bundesanstalt fur Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht) with Deutsche Bundesbank involvement; applications go to both. Widely regarded as the EU's most demanding CASP regulator.; in Lithuania it is 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. under Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas) - single competent authority. Publicly selective stance: wants few, solid firms rather than the ~370-strong legacy VASP pool.. The public licence and regulator fields below are open to everyone; the complete sourced comparison is included with access.
Germany: verified 2026-08-01 · Lithuania: verified 2026-08-15
| Dimension |
🇩🇪 Germany
partly open
Verified 2026-08-01
|
🇱🇹 Lithuania
partly open
Verified 2026-08-15
|
|---|---|---|
| Licence type | MiCA CASP authorisation granted by BaFin under national law FinmadiG/KMAG; replaces the legacy KWG crypto-custody business licence, with a simplified transition for existing KWG-licensed firms. | 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 | BaFin (Bundesanstalt fur Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht) with Deutsche Bundesbank involvement; applications go to both. Widely regarded as the EU's most demanding CASP regulator. | 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 | Germany capital requirement is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania capital requirement is included in the £349 pass. |
| Timeline to authorisation | Germany timeline to authorisation is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania timeline to authorisation is included in the £349 pass. |
| Local substance | Germany local substance is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania local substance is included in the £349 pass. |
| Application cost | Germany application cost is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania application cost is included in the £349 pass. |
| Ongoing cost | Germany ongoing cost is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania ongoing cost is included in the £349 pass. |
| Passporting | Germany passporting is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania passporting is included in the £349 pass. |
| MiCA CASPs approved | Germany mica casps approved is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania mica casps approved is included in the £349 pass. |
| Key restrictions | Germany key restrictions is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania key restrictions is included in the £349 pass. |
| Recent changes | FinmadiG + KMAG in force 27 Dec 2024; Germany used a 12-month grandfathering (apply before 8 Oct 2025; effective end-2025). By mid-2026 the EU's #1 hub - ~57 CASP authorisations (~23% of the EU's ~244), incl. Trade Republic, N26, Commerzbank, Bitpanda. BaFin's KMAnzV notification ordinance under KMAG (issued 20 May 2026, Federal Gazette 26 May 2026) standardises CASP notification forms and procedures. ESMA's interim register recorded 61 German CASP entries at its 24 July 2026 refresh, including cooperative banks Raiffeisenbank Auerbach-Freihung eG (19 June 2026) and Volksbank Schwarzwald-Donau-Neckar eG (2 July 2026), both for order execution only. | 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 | Germany difficulty rating is included in the £349 pass. | Lithuania difficulty rating is included in the £349 pass. |
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What changed recently
🇩🇪 Germany (verified 2026-08-01): FinmadiG + KMAG in force 27 Dec 2024; Germany used a 12-month grandfathering (apply before 8 Oct 2025; effective end-2025). By mid-2026 the EU's #1 hub - ~57 CASP authorisations (~23% of the EU's ~244), incl. Trade Republic, N26, Commerzbank, Bitpanda. BaFin's KMAnzV notification ordinance under KMAG (issued 20 May 2026, Federal Gazette 26 May 2026) standardises CASP notification forms and procedures. ESMA's interim register recorded 61 German CASP entries at its 24 July 2026 refresh, including cooperative banks Raiffeisenbank Auerbach-Freihung eG (19 June 2026) and Volksbank Schwarzwald-Donau-Neckar eG (2 July 2026), both for order execution only.
🇱🇹 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 Germany and Lithuania?
Germany: BaFin (Bundesanstalt fur Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht) with Deutsche Bundesbank involvement; applications go to both. Widely regarded as the EU's most demanding CASP regulator.. 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 Germany compared with Lithuania?
In Germany the authorisation route is MiCA CASP authorisation granted by BaFin under national law FinmadiG/KMAG; replaces the legacy KWG crypto-custody business licence, with a simplified transition for existing KWG-licensed firms.; 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 Germany 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/germany-vs-lithuania.
Informational only, not legal advice. Every open figure carries its own verification date; verify with qualified counsel before acting.