Services related to token offerings (FATF)
A financial service tied to an issuer's offer or sale of a virtual asset needs a virtual asset service provider (VASP) licence under the FATF Glossary (v). That covers launchpads, token syndications and distribution platforms, which run anti-money-laundering screening, investor verification and source-of-funds checks on the issuer's behalf.
Definition
Participating in and providing financial services related to an issuer's offer or sale of a virtual asset.
- FATF, Glossary: virtual asset service provider (v): official text
Which licence you need
Licence families that typically permit this activity:
Where it can be licensed
| EU/EEA passport | Domestic | |
|---|---|---|
| British Virgin Islands: Virtual Assets Service Provider Registration | ✓ | |
| Mauritius: Virtual Asset Advisory Services (Class I) | ✓ |
Frequently asked questions
Does acting as an initial coin offering (ICO) adviser require a VASP licence?
Usually not, if the adviser sticks to pure technical advice or marketing consulting. The moment it collects investor funds, manages token distributions or brokers allocations between issuer and buyer, full VASP registration or securities licensing becomes mandatory.
How do regulators treat token launchpad platforms?
Regulators treat a launchpad as an intermediary running token distributions, not a neutral venue. It has to verify project promoters, screen participants against sanctions lists, run anti-fraud checks and keep a detailed transaction audit trail to meet statutory compliance standards.
Sources
- FATF Glossary: virtual asset service provider (v) · retrieved 2026-09-24
Planning services related to token offerings (fatf)? Get the licence right first
Tell us your model and target markets. We check which licence it needs, and whether a narrower one will do, before you spend on an application.
A free preliminary assessment: we check your business model against the licence before you spend on an application. We handle this licence and any other fintech licence, including jurisdictions the Atlas does not cover yet.