Pin and benchmark
Pin the jurisdiction you are leaning towards, then line up to 5 rivals against it. Every unlocked figure shows where a peer beats it or loses to it on capital, timeline, cost and difficulty, so one screen tells you whether your first choice actually holds up.
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| Dimension |
Pinned 🇮🇪 Ireland partly open Verified 2026-07-03
|
🇲🇹 Malta
partly open
Verified 2026-07-03
|
|---|---|---|
| Licence type | MiCA CASP authorisation granted by the Central Bank of Ireland; replaces the legacy VASP registration (CJA 2010, AML). No simplified VASP->CASP conversion - all applicants face the full process. | 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 | Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) - sole competent authority; runs an Innovation Hub. Known as a demanding, gatekeeper-style regulator. | Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) - single competent authority; a long-standing crypto supervisor since the 2018 VFA regime. |
| Capital requirement | Ireland capital requirement is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Malta capital requirement is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Timeline to authorisation | Ireland timeline to authorisation is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Malta timeline to authorisation is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Local substance | Ireland local substance is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Malta local substance is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Application cost | Ireland application cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Malta application cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Ongoing cost | Ireland ongoing cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Malta ongoing cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Passporting | Ireland passporting is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Malta passporting is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| MiCA CASPs approved | Ireland mica casps approved is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Malta mica casps approved is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Key restrictions | Ireland key restrictions is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Malta key restrictions is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Recent changes | Transitional period ended 30 Dec 2025 (12 months; simplified route declined). ~10 CASPs authorised by late 2025 (Kraken Jun 2025, Coinbase, StoneX 10th). Revised Consumer Protection Code from 24 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 | Ireland difficulty rating is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Malta difficulty rating is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
Informational only, not legal advice. A delta compares the sortable figure only (capital, timeline, cost, difficulty, passporting, approvals); it is not a judgement on overall suitability. Verify with qualified counsel before acting.