Crypto-Asset Service Provider authorisation under MiCA and Act No. 31/2025 Coll. (povolení k činnosti poskytovatele služeb souvisejících s kryptoaktivy) (Czech Republic)

At a glance

What it lets you do

• Custody and administration of crypto-assets
• Operating a crypto-asset trading platform
• Exchange of crypto-assets for funds
• Exchange of crypto-assets for other crypto-assets
• Execution of orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients
• Placing of crypto-assets
• Reception and transmission of orders for crypto-assets
• Advice on crypto-assets
• Portfolio management of crypto-assets
• Transfer services for crypto-assets

• Custody and administration of crypto-assets. Safekeeping or controlling crypto-assets, or the means of access to them such as private keys, on behalf of clients.
• Operating a crypto-asset trading platform. Managing a multilateral system that brings together buying and selling interests in crypto-assets so that contracts are concluded.
• Exchange of crypto-assets for funds. Buying or selling crypto-assets against fiat money using the provider's own capital.
• Exchange of crypto-assets for other crypto-assets. Concluding contracts with clients to swap one crypto-asset for another using the provider's own capital.
• Execution of orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients. Concluding agreements to buy or sell crypto-assets on behalf of clients, including subscribing to offers.
• Placing of crypto-assets. Marketing crypto-assets to purchasers on behalf of or for the account of the offeror or a related party.
• Reception and transmission of orders for crypto-assets. Receiving a client's order to buy or sell crypto-assets and passing it to a third party for execution.
• Advice on crypto-assets. Giving personalised recommendations to a client about transactions in crypto-assets or the use of crypto-asset services.
• Portfolio management of crypto-assets. Managing portfolios that include crypto-assets on a discretionary, client-by-client basis under a mandate.
• Transfer services for crypto-assets. Moving crypto-assets on behalf of a client from one distributed-ledger address or account to another.

Where it is valid

Cost

How long it takes

Statutory: 40 working days from complete application under MiCA Art. 63(7) (plus 25 working days completeness check)². Observed: not published. The statutory clock usually starts only when the regulator treats the application as complete, and pauses while it waits for answers to its questions.

Buying a company that already holds it

Prior notification with an objection period. Under Section 18 of the Payment Systems Act (Act No. 370/2017 Coll.), any person or persons acting in concert intending to acquire, dispose of, or increase a qualifying holding in a payment institution or electronic money institution reaching or exceeding 20%, 30%, or 50% of voting rights or capital, or become the controlling person, must notify the CNB in advance via electronic filing. The CNB assesses the trustworthiness and suitability of the proposed acquirer within a statutory 60-working-day window and may initiate proceedings to issue a formal objection (vyslovení nesouhlasu). In the absence of an objection or upon affirmative notification, the acquisition may proceed. Acquiring qualifying holdings in breach of notification or objection leads to statutory forfeiture of voting rights. In contrast, for banks and investment firms under Act No. 21/1992 Coll. and Act No. 256/2004 Coll., prior approval (předchozí souhlas) is required subject to a CZK 20,000 fee under Item 66 of Act No. 634/2004 Coll. Small-scale providers (PPSMR/VEPMR) are exempt from change-of-control clearance.⁵

Ready-made companies holding this licence: see verified positions.

Laws behind it

• Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation: Regulation (EU) 2023/1114

Getting this licence

Protegra handles this licence end to end: CASP licensing in the Czech Republic: process, timeline and our fee.