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
|
🇪🇸 Spain
partly open
Verified 2026-07-02
|
|---|---|---|
| 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 granted by the Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV); Banco de España separately supervises stablecoin (ART/EMT) issuance |
| Regulator | Central Bank of Ireland (CBI) - sole competent authority; runs an Innovation Hub. Known as a demanding, gatekeeper-style regulator. | Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) - lead CASP authority; Banco de España co-supervises stablecoin issuers |
| Capital requirement | Ireland capital requirement is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain capital requirement is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Timeline to authorisation | Ireland timeline to authorisation is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain timeline to authorisation is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Local substance | Ireland local substance is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain local substance is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Application cost | Ireland application cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain application cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Ongoing cost | Ireland ongoing cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain ongoing cost is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Passporting | Ireland passporting is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain passporting is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| MiCA CASPs approved | Ireland mica casps approved is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain mica casps approved is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. |
| Key restrictions | Ireland key restrictions is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain 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. | 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 | Ireland difficulty rating is locked. Unlock with the £349 pass. | Spain 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.