Kraken, America’s second-largest cryptocurrency exchange, hit a significant regulatory milestone for Europe. Ireland’s Central Bank licensed Kraken for Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) such that the firm can now legally conduct business across all 30 European Economic Area (EEA) countries.
The license also permits Kraken to offer regulated digital asset services directly to both retail and institutional clients across the region.
The license follows two other major regulatory licenses obtained by Kraken. It acquired its e-money institution (EMI) license in 2023 and then gained MiFID authorization in February 2025.
The latest license from Ireland’s Central Bank for Kraken reinforces its serious long-term intention towards European market expansion and regulation compliance.
Kraken’s co-CEO, Arjun Sethi, praised Ireland’s Central Bank for its tough standards for supervising financial institutions.
Kraken enhances euro crypto trading with compliance
The company holds Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) licenses in seven European countries, namely Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Spain.
It’s this strong degree of regulation that has supported Kraken’s position as a significant euro-denominated crypto trading participant since 2013. Kraken’s BTC/EUR trading pair remains one of the most liquid in the industry.
Now, through the MiCA license, the firm will broaden its business operations throughout Europe. It will enhance products for spot trading, among others, and digital payments.
It will aim to provide better consumer protections, more transparency, and strict compliance rules at the local level through such licensing.
Nonetheless, the bundling of MiCA, MiFID, and EMI licenses places the firm at the forefront of Europe’s rapidly evolving crypto market. It increases confidence in the company’s platform and presents new opportunities for expansion across European professional, retail, and institutional crypto markets.
