Poland Crypto License — CASP Authorization Guide 2026

To obtain a Poland CASP authorization, companies must satisfy KNF's requirements under MiCA Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 and Polish national implementing legislation. The following are the core requirements:

MiCA Article 67 establishes three minimum own funds tiers based on the CASP service types authorized. These apply across all EU member states including Poland:

Additionally, under MiCA Art. 67(2), own funds must at all times be at least one-quarter of the fixed overheads of the preceding year — so as your business grows, the capital requirement grows proportionally. CASPs must hold capital instruments that are fully paid up, freely available, and not subject to third-party claims.

One of the most powerful features of a Poland CASP license is the automatic right to provide crypto-asset services across all 27 EU member states under the MiCA passporting regime (Article 65). This means a single KNF authorization gives you market access to the entire European Union — no additional licenses, no separate applications in each country.

How Poland CASP Passporting Works

• Notification to KNF: To passport into another EU member state, your company notifies KNF with the target country, service types, and start date. KNF has 10 working days to forward the notification to the host state NCA.
• Immediate operation: You can begin providing services in the host member state on the date KNF forwards the notification — no waiting for the host NCA to approve.
• Full ESMA register visibility: All authorized Polish CASPs appear in ESMA's public register of crypto-asset service providers, giving clients and partners across the EU immediate verification of your authorization status.
• Supervisory home-host split: KNF remains your primary prudential supervisor. Host state NCAs supervise conduct-of-business requirements applicable locally.

Poland's position in Central Europe makes it strategically attractive for companies targeting both Western and Eastern EU markets. With a Poland CASP license, you can serve clients in Germany, France, Netherlands, and all other 24 EU member states from day one of passporting activation. See our detailed guide on EU passporting under MiCA for full procedural details.

Polish businesses that held a VASP registration in KNF's AML register before 30 December 2024 are eligible for Poland's transitional regime under MiCA Article 143. Poland adopted the full 18-month transitional period — meaning existing Polish VASPs may continue providing their currently authorized services until 1 July 2026, provided they submit a complete CASP authorization application to KNF before that date.

Key Points for Polish VASPs

• Continued operation permitted: Registered Polish VASPs may continue providing their currently registered services through 1 July 2026 without a CASP license — provided the CASP application is submitted to KNF in time.
• Simplified authorization available: KNF may apply a streamlined assessment for existing VASPs, focusing on MiCA compliance gaps rather than a full de novo review — potentially shortening review time for established operators.
• New services require full CASP: Transitional rights cover only services the VASP was registered to provide. Adding new service types requires full CASP authorization for those additional services immediately.
• No transitional passporting: The transitional regime does not grant EU passporting rights. Polish VASPs operating under transitional provisions can only serve Polish clients. EU passporting activates only upon full KNF CASP authorization.
• AML register ≠ CASP register: KNF's AML VASP register and the MiCA CASP authorization register are distinct. Being on the AML register does not confer CASP status — a separate authorization application is required.