Texas (TX)
Money transmission and virtual currency licensing planning data for Texas.
Population weight (planning): 9.18% · Back to matrix · Launch map
How to read this page: confirmed cells are checked against a primary regulatory source and dated. Under review marks a cell where primary sources conflict or a figure awaits confirmation.
MTL required
Yes, Finance Code Chapter 152 (Money Services Modernization Act) requires a money transmission licence for receiving money for money transmission from a person located in Texas. The scenario's fiat on/off ramp falls squarely inside that definition, so the CVC exchange as a whole needs a Money Transmission License under section 152.101.
Verified 2026-07-16. Source
Fiat treatment
Money transmission is defined as selling or issuing payment instruments or stored value, or receiving money for money transmission services, from a person located in Texas (Finance Code section 152.003(22)). Handling the fiat funding or cash-out leg of the exchange falls directly within this definition, triggering licensing under section 152.101.
Verified 2026-07-16. Source
Virtual currency treatment
Hybrid treatment: section 152.003(19) writes qualifying stablecoin (sovereign pegged, fully reserved, redeemable for sovereign currency) directly into the statutory definition of money. Non-stablecoin virtual currency is expressly excluded from that definition by Supervisory Memorandum 1037 guidance; custodial digital asset trading platforms can separately trigger Chapter 160 (Digital Asset Service Providers).
Verified 2026-07-16. Source
Regulator
Texas Department of Banking, the state agency that licenses and supervises money services businesses under Finance Code Chapter 152; licensing runs through its Corporate Activities Division and ongoing supervision through its Non-Depository Supervision Division.
Verified 2026-07-16. Source
NMLS / portal
Money Transmission License (a separate, narrower Currency Exchange License covers currency-conversion-only businesses and would not fit this scenario). New applications, financials, background forms and bonds are filed through NMLS per the TX-DOB Money Transmission Company New Application Checklist.
Verified 2026-07-16. Source
Launch posture
amber: NMLS-integrated process with a clear statutory 120-day decision clock and crypto-considered statutory definitions, but a $500,000 bond, sizeable background-check burden, and an additional Chapter 160 digital-asset-custody.
Verified 2026-07-16. Source
Net worth / capital (locked)
Net worth / capital is included with access.Permissible investments (locked)
Permissible investments is included with access.Exam / audit timeline (locked)
Exam / audit timeline is included with access.Practitioner notes (locked)
Practitioner notes is included with access.Under the planning scenario
LicenceMap's bond and net worth figures use one scenario throughout: a virtual currency exchange with a fiat on and off ramp, $50m in annual US transmission volume, $2m in average daily outstanding liability, and a single principal office.
Surety bond: Surety bond is included with access.
Net worth / capital: Net worth / capital is included with access.