Editorial team · Author profile
Kevin Hartmann
Senior Editor · Crypto Law Index
12+ years in regulatory practice and analysis
About Kevin
Kevin leads the regulatory desk at Crypto Law Index. Before joining the publication he spent eight years on the financial-regulation desk of a London-based business newspaper, covering EBA technical standards, MiFID II implementation, and the early years of the EU Crowdfunding Regulation. He writes the country-deep-dive series and oversees the methodology change-log.
Credentials
- M.A., Financial Journalism, City University London
- Diploma, EU Financial Regulation, Florence School of Banking and Finance
Education
- M.A., Financial Journalism, City University London
- B.A., Economics and German, University of Edinburgh
Specialties
- MiCA Regulation analysis
- EU regulatory change-tracking
- Country-deep-dive editorial
- Methodology change-log
Articles by Kevin · 30
MiCA EMT Issuer Authorisation — Title IV in Practice
EMT issuer authorisation under MiCA Title IV runs through the EMI route — credit institutions and electronic money institutions ca…
comparisonLiechtenstein TVTG vs MiCA 2026 — Crypto Regulation Compared
Liechtenstein's 2020 TVTG was the first comprehensive blockchain law in Europe. As an EEA member, Liechtenstein must adopt MiCA vi…
mica rulesMiCA Article 7 Marketing Checklist 2026 — CASP Compliance
A working checklist for CASP marketing approval under MiCA Article 7. Pre-publication review, format-specific risk warnings, white…
comparisonBest EU MiCA Passport Hub 2026 — LT vs IE vs NL vs FR
For platforms planning to authorise in one EU jurisdiction and passport everywhere else, the choice of home supervisor is the stra…
stablecoin nftMiCA ART Issuer Authorisation — Title III in Practice
ART issuer authorisation under MiCA Title III is a separate regime from CASP authorisation. The issuer needs prior NCA approval, w…
jurisdictionSlovenia ATVP CASP Authorisation 2026 — Practitioner Guide
Slovenia transposed MiCA via amendments to the Markets in Financial Instruments Act, designating ATVP as CASP supervisor. Bitstamp…
mica rulesCASP Own Funds Under MiCA Article 67 — The Calculation
Every authorised CASP must hold prudential own funds at all times equal to the higher of two reference values: the permanent minim…
operationalMiCA Article 85 — Significant CASP Designation Explained
MiCA Article 85 lets ESMA designate large CASPs as 'significant' and pull them into co-supervision alongside the home NCA. The cri…
jurisdictionNetherlands AFM CASP Authorisation 2026 — Practitioner Guide
The Netherlands transferred CASP supervision from DNB to AFM under the MiCA-implementing Wft amendments — shifting from AML-only r…
comparisonCrypto Custody Licence: Jurisdictions Compared (2026)
A crypto custody licence is not one licence. Under MiCA it is a CASP Class 2 authorisation; in the US a state trust charter or SPD…
comparisonCrypto Exchange License: Jurisdictions Compared (2026)
A crypto exchange licence is not one licence. It is six or seven different regimes — MiCA, VARA, MAS, SFC, FCA, FINMA, and the US …
comparisonUK FCA Cryptoasset Registration vs EU MiCA: Compared
The UK's FCA cryptoasset registration is AML-only and narrow. EU MiCA is a comprehensive CASP regime with a 27-state passport. The…
comparisonUS Crypto Licensing: State MTLs, FinCEN MSB, BitLicense
There is no federal US crypto licence. A firm serving US users typically needs state-by-state money-transmitter licences across ev…
comparisonCyprus vs Malta for a CASP Licence: CySEC and MFSA Compared
Cyprus and Malta both grant a MiCA CASP authorisation with the EU passport, and both are small, English-language EU jurisdictions.…
comparisonGermany vs France for a CASP Licence: BaFin and AMF Compared
Germany and France are the EU's two largest economies, and both regulated crypto before MiCA — Germany with a crypto-custody licen…
company formationPoland Sp. z o.o. for a Crypto Business: Company Formation
The Polish sp. z o.o. is the standard company form for a crypto business in Poland — PLN 5,000 minimum capital, registered with th…
jurisdictionFrance AMF CASP Authorisation: The PSAN Transition to MiCA
France ran its own crypto regime — the PSAN framework — since the 2019 PACTE law. MiCA replaced it. Existing French PSANs have a f…
comparisonLithuania vs Poland for a CASP Licence: Which to Choose
Lithuania has been the EU's high-throughput CASP jurisdiction since MiCA arrived. Poland — the largest CEE market — moved later an…
comparisonMiCA vs Dubai VARA: EU and UAE Crypto Regulation Compared
The EU's MiCA and Dubai's VARA regime are the two most-discussed crypto frameworks of 2026. They are built differently: MiCA is a …
mica rulesHow Long a MiCA CASP Licence Takes: The Real 2026 Timeline
MiCA's statutory clock for CASP authorisation is 25 working days for completeness plus 40 for assessment. The real-world timeline …
mica rulesReverse Solicitation Under MiCA: When Non-EU Crypto Firms Can Serve EU Clients
MiCA's reverse-solicitation exemption lets a non-EU crypto firm serve an EU client only when the client initiates the relationship…
jurisdictionGermany BaFin CASP Authorisation: KMAG, Simplified Procedure, and 2026 Reality
Germany transposed MiCA via the Cryptomarkets Supervision Act (KMAG), published 27 December 2024. BaFin runs a simplified procedur…
mica rulesMiCA Passporting: How a CASP Goes Cross-Border in the EU
MiCA's EU passport mechanism grants every authorised CASP the right to provide services across all 27 EU member states via a notif…
jurisdictionIreland CBI CASP Practitioner Guide: How the Central Bank Reviews
Ireland transposed MiCA via SI 607/2024, designating the Central Bank of Ireland as the competent authority. The CBI applies a hig…
operationalCASP Outsourcing Rules Under MiCA: What You Can and Can't Outsource
MiCA's outsourcing rule lets a CASP outsource operational functions but prohibits outsourcing of senior management responsibility.…
jurisdictionCyprus CySEC CASP Practitioner Guide: What's Different in 2026
Cyprus retired its 2021 national VASP register in favour of MiCA CASP supervision, with the existing-CASP application deadline set…
jurisdictionCzech National Bank CASP Migration: 2026 Practitioner Notes
Czech crypto supervision moved from the Trade Licensing Office regime to the Czech National Bank — ČNB became MiCA-competent from …
jurisdictionEstonian FSA CASP Process: A 2026 Practitioner Guide
The Estonian FSA (Finantsinspektsioon) tightened CASP review materially in 2026 after the wave of substance-light VASP refusals in…
jurisdictionMiCA CASP Authorisation in Lithuania: 2026 Complete Guide
Lithuania is the fastest mid-tier EU jurisdiction for MiCA CASP authorisation in 2026 — Bank of Lithuania runs 4-6 month cycles fo…
mica rulesVASP-to-CASP Transition: The 1 July 2026 Deadline Explained
MiCA's transitional regime gives existing crypto-asset firms a transitional regime to migrate from national VASP registers to CASP…