EU CRYPTO REGISTER · AUTHORISED · LAST VERIFIED
Is Lightyear Europe AS licensed under MiCA in the European Union?
Lightyear Europe AS's European entity (Lightyear Europe AS) is recorded as an authorised Crypto-Asset Service Provider under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, with its authorisation issued by Estonia on 17 November 2025.
Verdict: Lightyear Europe AS appears in the ESMA Register of MiCA-Authorised CASPs.
| Legal entity | Lightyear Europe AS |
|---|---|
| Home Member State | Estonia |
| National Competent Authority | |
| Authorisation date | |
| Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) | 254900BBBJZF2IE8EN54 |
| Authorised services |
Source: ESMA Register of Crypto-Asset Service Providers. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
About Lightyear Europe AS
Lightyear is a consumer multi-asset investment platform operated by Lightyear Europe AS, an Estonian investment firm headquartered at Volta 1, Tallinn. According to research drawing on the company's own materials and the Estonian regulator's register, the business launched in the UK in September 2021 and in the EU in July 2022. Its site presents commission-free ETF trading, fractional shares across US, European, UK and Baltic markets, money-market funds, and interest-bearing "Vault" accounts; Lightyear states the Vault rate is based on the European Central Bank's overnight rate and that the cash is held with BlackRock, which it describes as the world's largest asset manager. Sources: lightyear.com, Estonian FSA register
Alongside its securities offering, Lightyear provides a crypto-asset service. The research summary describes this as a multi-asset offering of around 12 curated coins (such as Bitcoin and Ethereum) with spot trading only. It is reported to operate on a custodial model with no external on-chain withdrawals, and to offer no staking, no separate savings or DCA product for crypto, and no crypto card. EUR pricing and SEPA payments are supported, with instant euro payments reported to run via banking partner LHV. These crypto-specific details come from secondary research rather than the regulator and should be read as such. Sources: MatchMyBroker review, LHV
On the regulatory point, the contracting legal entity is Lightyear Europe AS, supervised by the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (Finantsinspektsioon, EFSA). The research states the entity holds a MiCA Crypto-Asset Service Provider authorisation under Estonian regulation, with the entity appearing on the EFSA register. The structured services list supplied for this profile is empty, so the specific MiCA service classes (for example, custody, exchange against funds, or operation of a trading platform) are not itemised here and should be confirmed against the EFSA register entry rather than inferred. A MiCA CASP authorisation covers the listed crypto-asset services only; it is separate from the firm's investment-firm permissions for securities and does not by itself extend to other regulated activities. Source: Estonian FSA register
Which crypto services is Lightyear Europe AS authorised to offer in the EU?
Under its MiCA authorisation issued by Estonia, Lightyear Europe AS (Lightyear Europe AS) is approved to provide the following services to EEA residents. Each service is defined in Article 3(1)(16) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114.
Which services is Lightyear Europe AS not authorised to offer?
Lightyear Europe AS's MiCA licence does not cover: Custody, Trading platform, Exchange for funds, Exchange for crypto, Order execution, Placing, Order R&T, Advice, Portfolio mgmt, Transfer services. These services may still be offered by other authorised providers, or by Lightyear Europe AS under a different regulatory framework (for example, derivatives may fall under MiFID II rather than MiCA). Source: ESMA Register, retrieved 30 June 2026.
What does this mean for users of Lightyear Europe AS in the EU?
If you transact through Lightyear Europe AS's EEA-authorised entity (Lightyear Europe AS), the protections introduced by MiCA apply to your relationship from onwards. In practical terms this means: client crypto-assets are ring-fenced from the exchange's own funds (Article 70 MiCA), the authorised entity holds prudential capital, has formal complaint-handling procedures, and is subject to transparency obligations on fees and order execution. Source: Regulation (EU) 2023/1114.
One thing to verify yourself: the legal entity you contract with day-to-day must match the entity in the ESMA register. Some global exchanges operate multiple legal entities under one brand. Confirm in Lightyear Europe AS's terms of service that your contracting entity is Lightyear Europe AS, not a non-EEA affiliate.
Which MiCA-authorised exchanges are alternatives to Lightyear Europe AS?
Three MiCA-authorised providers to consider. Drawn from the ESMA register, never paid placement.
| Provider | Home Member State | Authorised | Services |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alaric Securities | Bulgaria | 9 services | |
| OKX | Malta | 9 services | |
| Kraken | Ireland | 8 services |
Related reading
Understand the regulatory context behind Lightyear Europe AS's entry on the register:
Frequently asked questions about Lightyear Europe AS and MiCA
Is Lightyear Europe AS licensed under MiCA?
Yes. Lightyear Europe AS appears in the ESMA Register of MiCA-Authorised Crypto-Asset Service Providers, with its authorisation issued by the competent authority of Estonia.
Which EU countries can Lightyear Europe AS serve under this licence?
A MiCA authorisation in one EEA member state permits passporting across all EEA member states, subject to a notification process to each host-state regulator.
Are my crypto-assets on Lightyear Europe AS protected under MiCA?
MiCA introduces ring-fencing of client crypto-assets, prudential capital requirements for the authorised entity, complaint-handling obligations, and conduct rules. It does not provide a deposit-guarantee scheme equivalent to bank deposit insurance.
What's the difference between the authorised entity and the global brand?
Some global exchanges operate multiple legal entities. The MiCA authorisation applies only to the specific legal entity in the ESMA register, not to the global brand. Verify the contracting entity in Lightyear Europe AS's terms of service.
Where can I check the official record?
The ESMA register publishes the authoritative list and updates it weekly. The direct link to Lightyear Europe AS's entry is on this page under 'Sources'.
Sources
This page is updated weekly. Last verified . If you believe any information on this page is inaccurate, write to our contact page.