MiCA deadline may push small crypto apps onto licensed rails

BitGo Europe signed an agreement with Warsaw-based Bielik.io to integrate BitGo’s Crypto-as-a-Service infrastructure so eligible Bielik.io users can access deposits, supported trading and custody across the European Economic Area under MiCA rules.

Bielik.io will retain its mobile app and customer-facing interface while BitGo Europe provides regulated infrastructure for custody, wallet APIs, onboarding and KYC, trading and settlement, transfer services and SEPA on- and off-ramps where available. BitGo also will supply policy controls, implementation support and insurance for custodial wallets subject to its terms.

BitGo introduced a MiCA-compliant CaaS offering for eligible virtual asset service providers and fintechs the day before announcing the Bielik integration.

The European Securities and Markets Authority set a transitional deadline for MiCA on July 1, 2026. After that date, ESMA said firms that provide crypto-asset services to EU clients without MiCA authorization must stop offering those services.

ESMA also set limits on outsourcing. The regulator stated that crypto-asset service providers may not delegate custody to entities that are not authorized CASPs and should avoid arrangements that route EU clients through unauthorized third-country entities.

Under MiCA rules and ESMA guidance, custody, onboarding and transfer services used by EU customers must be performed by providers inside the regulatory perimeter for the services performed.

Smaller platforms that cannot complete their own authorization process before national permissions expire can apply for CASP authorization, wind down, transfer users, withdraw from the market, or rely on a licensed infrastructure provider to perform regulated functions.

Polish authorities notified clients that after July 1, 2026 entries on the domestic virtual-currency activity register will no longer authorize crypto-asset services in Poland or abroad and directed users to verify MiCA authorization for providers. Poland’s president did not sign a national crypto-assets market act on May 15, 2026, and the national supervisor said no Polish authority has been formally designated for some MiCA functions. The supervisor added that MiCA-authorized CASPs from other member states may operate in Poland under cross-border rules after notifying their home authority without a physical presence in the host state.

Lithuania ended its CASP transition period on Dec. 31, 2025. The Bank of Lithuania said providers that did not plan to continue had to wind down, return client assets or transfer custody. At that time about 30 firms had applied for a CASP license, more than 370 had declared crypto services, and roughly 120 firms showed activity based on revenue and financial statements.

BitGo Europe is listed by France’s Autorité des Marchés Financiers as a Germany-licensed MiCA CASP authorized to provide services in France under the free provision of services regime. The AMF listing cites custody and administration, exchange of crypto-assets for funds and for other crypto-assets, order execution and transmission, and transfer services among BitGo’s authorized activities.

If platforms preserve their customer-facing apps while outsourcing regulated functions to licensed providers, custody, onboarding and transfer services will be performed by those providers. Observers will watch whether other European platforms announce similar CaaS integrations before and after the July 1 MiCA deadline.