🇱🇹 Lithuania vs 🇲🇹 Malta: crypto licensing compared
Decision context and regulator route
Choosing between Lithuania and Malta for a crypto licence starts with who you will answer to: Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas) - single competent authority. Publicly selective stance: wants few, solid firms rather than the ~370-strong legacy VASP pool. on one side, Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) - single competent authority; a long-standing crypto supervisor since the 2018 VFA regime. on the other, via 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. and the MiCA CASP authorisation under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Act (Cap. 647); replaces the legacy VFA licence (VFA Act 2018) via a fast-track conversion. Malta granted one of the EU's first full CASP licences (Jan 2025). respectively. The public fields are shown below, with the full dated and sourced comparison included with access.
Lithuania: verified 2026-08-15 · Malta: verified 2026-08-15
| Dimension |
🇱🇹 Lithuania
partly open
Verified 2026-08-15
|
🇲🇹 Malta
partly open
Verified 2026-08-15
|
|---|---|---|
| Licence type | 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. | MiCA CASP authorisation under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Act (Cap. 647); replaces the legacy VFA licence (VFA Act 2018) via a fast-track conversion. Malta granted one of the EU's first full CASP licences (Jan 2025). |
| Regulator | Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas) - single competent authority. Publicly selective stance: wants few, solid firms rather than the ~370-strong legacy VASP pool. | Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) - single competent authority; a long-standing crypto supervisor since the 2018 VFA regime. |
| Capital requirement | Lithuania capital requirement is included in the £349 pass. | Malta capital requirement is included in the £349 pass. |
| Timeline to authorisation | Lithuania timeline to authorisation is included in the £349 pass. | Malta timeline to authorisation is included in the £349 pass. |
| Local substance | Lithuania local substance is included in the £349 pass. | Malta local substance is included in the £349 pass. |
| Application cost | Lithuania application cost is included in the £349 pass. | Malta application cost is included in the £349 pass. |
| Ongoing cost | Lithuania ongoing cost is included in the £349 pass. | Malta ongoing cost is included in the £349 pass. |
| Passporting | Lithuania passporting is included in the £349 pass. | Malta passporting is included in the £349 pass. |
| MiCA CASPs approved | Lithuania mica casps approved is included in the £349 pass. | Malta mica casps approved is included in the £349 pass. |
| Key restrictions | Lithuania key restrictions is included in the £349 pass. | Malta key restrictions is included in the £349 pass. |
| Recent changes | 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. | First-mover: Crypto.com licensed 27 Jan 2025; ~13 CASPs now authorised (OKX, Gemini, Gate, Blockchain.com). ESMA's 10 Jul 2025 peer review criticised the MFSA's authorisation of one CASP, tightening scrutiny. Transition ends 1 Jul 2026. |
| Difficulty rating | Lithuania difficulty rating is included in the £349 pass. | Malta 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
🇱🇹 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.
🇲🇹 Malta (verified 2026-08-15): First-mover: Crypto.com licensed 27 Jan 2025; ~13 CASPs now authorised (OKX, Gemini, Gate, Blockchain.com). ESMA's 10 Jul 2025 peer review criticised the MFSA's authorisation of one CASP, tightening scrutiny. Transition ends 1 Jul 2026.
Quick answers
Who regulates crypto licensing in Lithuania and Malta?
Lithuania: Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas) - single competent authority. Publicly selective stance: wants few, solid firms rather than the ~370-strong legacy VASP pool.. Malta: Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) - single competent authority; a long-standing crypto supervisor since the 2018 VFA regime..
What licence do you need in Lithuania compared with Malta?
In Lithuania the authorisation route 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.; in Malta it is MiCA CASP authorisation under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Act (Cap. 647); replaces the legacy VFA licence (VFA Act 2018) via a fast-track conversion. Malta granted one of the EU's first full CASP licences (Jan 2025).. The comparison table on this page lines the two up dimension by dimension.
Where can I see the full Lithuania vs Malta 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/lithuania-vs-malta.
Informational only, not legal advice. Every open figure carries its own verification date; verify with qualified counsel before acting.