MiCA licensing goes live: what changes for the UK
In 2024 MiCA's crypto-asset service provider (CASP) licensing began applying across the EU. Platforms serving the UK now need authorisation, reserves and complaint procedures — or they are operating illegally.
What a CASP licence obliges
CASP status binds a platform to custody safeguards, disclosure duties and complaint handling, under the FCA supervision for the UK clients. It converts "trust us" into enforceable obligations.
For victims this matters at the moment of failure: a licensed entity can be complained about, sued and pressured through its regulator. An unlicensed one can only be traced.
The grandfathering trap
Some platforms marketed "we operate under national law" well into 2024-2025 while their transitional cover expired. Investors who did not re-check status believed they were protected when they were not.
UK victims should also check the FCA Register before transferring, and remember that banks must offer a claim under the APP reimbursement rules even when the payment was made voluntarily.
Practical steps now
Re-verify every platform you use against the CASP register, not old marketing emails. Save the licence entry — it is your evidence of who is accountable.
If you lost money on an unlicensed platform in 2024 or later, the claim routes through Action Fraud and the APP-scams reimbursement rules apply, and the platform's illegal status is your central argument.
Frequently asked questions
How do I check a CASP licence?
Regulators publish official CASP registers. the FCA lists providers authorised for the UK; match the exact legal entity and domain.
My platform had a national licence before MiCA. Am I covered?
Only while the transitional period lasts. Verify current status — grandfathering has end dates, and some platforms let them lapse.
Not sure where your situation fits?
Describe what happened in your own words. We will tell you honestly whether a cryptocurrency trading loss review is the right next step.