Romania crypto license 2026 — ASF CASP authorisation
Romania has no MiCA competent authority for CASPs. The ASF said in mid-2026 that it was not designated and could not receive applications; a draft implementing ordinance had a first reading in April 2026 but was not adopted. The transitional period ended on 1 July 2026; clients are served by passporting CASPs.
Last reviewed by the Crypto Law Index editorial desk
MiCA applies in Romania, but nobody can authorise under it
MiCA is a regulation, so it has applied in Romania since 30 December 2024 without transposition. What it needs from each member state is a designated competent authority and a national framework for powers and penalties. Romania has adopted neither. In an official reply quoted by StartupCafe in mid-2026, the ASF (Autoritatea de Supraveghere Financiară) said it 'is not currently designated as competent authority' for MiCA and therefore 'cannot receive and cannot decide' authorisation applications; it had received none. An ASF official said the same in an interview with Bursa on 1 July 2026.
The Ministry of Finance put a draft emergency ordinance implementing MiCA, which names the ASF as the authorising authority, to public consultation, and it had a first reading in government on 2 April 2026. The government that backed it was dismissed by a censure motion on 5 May 2026, and no implementing act had been adopted by 25 October 2026. ESMA's interim register lists no CASP with Romania as home member state.
What this means for firms serving Romanian clients
Romania chose the maximum 18-month transitional period under Article 143(3), which ended on 1 July 2026. Since then a firm serving Romanian clients needs a MiCA authorisation from another member state, notified for Romania under Article 65, or must be an entity that may provide crypto-asset services by notification under Article 60. On 25 October 2026, 179 of the 387 entries on ESMA's interim CASP register listed Romania among their passport states.
The practical route for a Romania-focused business is therefore a home authorisation elsewhere, often in a member state with a working pipeline and a language and banking set-up that suits the team, with Romanian customer-facing operations run under the passport. A Romanian company can still hold staff, customer support or technology for the group; it cannot itself be the authorised CASP until Romania designates an authority.
What to watch
The trigger for a Romanian route is the adoption of the implementing act and the formal designation of the ASF. Until that happens, treat any offer of a 'Romanian MiCA licence' with suspicion. Ranked firms whose profiles cover Romania can advise on the passport route, local consumer and tax rules, and the state of the draft ordinance.
Romania is the EU member state where MiCA applies directly but no national implementing act has designated a competent authority for crypto-asset service providers, so no Romanian CASP authorisation can be filed; firms serve Romanian clients through a MiCA passport from another member state.
Fast facts
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Competent authority | None designated for CASPs; the ASF said it cannot receive or decide MiCA applications |
| National act | None adopted; a draft emergency ordinance had a first reading in government on 2 April 2026 |
| Transitional period | Ended 1 July 2026 (MiCA Article 143(3) default of 18 months) |
| Authorised Romanian CASPs | None on ESMA's interim register (25 October 2026) |
| How Romanian clients are served | By CASPs authorised in another member state passporting under MiCA Article 65 |
| FIU | ONPCSB — National Office for Prevention and Control of Money Laundering |
| Corporate tax | 16% standard CIT |
Top counsel for Romania CASP work
Firms below are ranked according to the published CLPAI methodology. Featured selections cover firms with documented Romania engagement, regardless of where they are headquartered.
Frequently asked questions about Romania CASP authorisation
Who supervises CASPs in Romania under MiCA?
No Romanian authority has been designated. In an official reply to StartupCafe in mid-2026, the ASF said it was not designated as competent authority under MiCA and therefore could not receive or decide authorisation applications.
Can I get a CASP authorisation in Romania?
No. Without a designated authority there is no procedure to file under. A firm that wants Romanian clients is authorised in another member state and notifies a passport for Romania under MiCA Article 65.
What happened to firms that served Romanian clients before MiCA?
They could rely on the Article 143(3) transitional period, which ended on 1 July 2026. Since then only CASPs authorised in another member state, or Article 60 entities, may serve Romanian clients.
What is the minimum capital for a CASP serving Romania?
The MiCA Annex IV floors apply in the home member state: €50,000 for Class 1, €125,000 for Class 2 and €150,000 for Class 3, or a quarter of fixed overheads if higher (Article 67).
Pitfalls and nuances in Romania
1 Planning a Romanian filing
Older guidance, including an earlier version of this page, described an ASF authorisation route under a 'Law 122/2024'. No such route exists: the ASF has said it is not designated and cannot accept MiCA applications. Plan authorisation in another member state instead.
2 Relying on pre-MiCA status after 1 July 2026
The Article 143(3) transitional period ended on 1 July 2026. A firm without a MiCA authorisation from another member state, or an Article 60 notification, cannot lawfully keep serving Romanian clients on the strength of its old national status.
3 Forgetting the host-state layer
A passported CASP still has to meet Romanian consumer-protection, marketing and tax rules for Romanian clients, and report suspicious transactions as its home-state AML framework requires. The passport removes the licence question, not the local compliance work.
Regulator and primary sources
The supervisor of CASP authorisations in Romania is No competent authority designated for CASPs (the ASF is the authority named in the draft implementing ordinance). The legal basis is MiCA Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 applies directly; no national implementing act adopted as of 25 October 2026. Visit www.asfromania.ro for the regulator's official guidance, application forms, and supervisory expectations.
For where every EU and EEA state stands — its authority, its national act and when its transitional period ended — see the MiCA implementation tracker.