🇱🇹 Lithuania vs 🇪🇸 Spain: crypto licensing compared
Lithuania and Spain take recognisably different routes to crypto authorisation. In Lithuania the route 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. overseen by Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas) - single competent authority. Publicly selective stance: wants few, solid firms rather than the ~370-strong legacy VASP pool.; in Spain it is the MiCA CASP Authorisation granted by the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV); Banco de España separately supervises stablecoin (ART/EMT) issuance under Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) - lead CASP authority; Banco de España co-supervises stablecoin issuers. The two regimes differ on 7 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.
Lithuania: verified 2026-07-01 · Spain: verified 2026-07-02
| Dimension |
🇱🇹 Lithuania
partly open
Verified 2026-07-01
|
🇪🇸 Spain
partly open
Verified 2026-07-02
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 granted by the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV); Banco de España separately supervises stablecoin (ART/EMT) issuance |
| Regulator | Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas) - single competent authority. Publicly selective stance: wants few, solid firms rather than the ~370-strong legacy VASP pool. | Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) - lead CASP authority; Banco de España co-supervises stablecoin issuers |
| Capital requirement | Lithuania capital requirement is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain capital requirement is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Timeline to authorisation | Lithuania timeline to authorisation is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain timeline to authorisation is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Local substance | Lithuania local substance is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain local substance is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Application cost | Lithuania application cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain application cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Ongoing cost | Lithuania ongoing cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain ongoing cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Passporting | Lithuania passporting is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain passporting is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| MiCA CASPs approved | Lithuania mica casps approved is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain mica casps approved is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Key restrictions | Lithuania key restrictions is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain key restrictions is locked. Unlock with 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. | By early 2026, CNMV had granted MiCA CASP licenses to six banks (BBVA, Cecabank, Openbank, Renta 4, CaixaBank and Kutxabank) plus five fintechs, reflecting a bank-led adoption pattern distinct from most other EEA jurisdictions; CNMV published updated MiCA Q&A guidance in Dec 2025 ahead of full application from 1 July 2026 |
| Difficulty rating | Lithuania difficulty rating is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain difficulty rating is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
The two regimes differ on 7 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
🇱🇹 Lithuania (verified 2026-07-01): 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.
🇪🇸 Spain (verified 2026-07-02): By early 2026, CNMV had granted MiCA CASP licenses to six banks (BBVA, Cecabank, Openbank, Renta 4, CaixaBank and Kutxabank) plus five fintechs, reflecting a bank-led adoption pattern distinct from most other EEA jurisdictions; CNMV published updated MiCA Q&A guidance in Dec 2025 ahead of full application from 1 July 2026
Quick answers
Who regulates crypto licensing in Lithuania and Spain?
Lithuania: Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas) - single competent authority. Publicly selective stance: wants few, solid firms rather than the ~370-strong legacy VASP pool.. Spain: Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) - lead CASP authority; Banco de España co-supervises stablecoin issuers.
What licence do you need in Lithuania compared with Spain?
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 Spain it is MiCA CASP Authorisation granted by the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV); Banco de España separately supervises stablecoin (ART/EMT) issuance. The comparison table on this page lines the two up dimension by dimension.
Where can I see the full Lithuania vs Spain 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-spain.
Informational only, not legal advice. Every open figure carries its own verification date; verify with qualified counsel before acting.