EU CRYPTO REGISTER · AUTHORISED · LAST VERIFIED
Is QWARKS licensed under MiCA in the European Union?
QWARKS's European entity (QWARKS SAS) is recorded as an authorised Crypto-Asset Service Provider under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, with its authorisation issued by France on 21 May 2026.
Verdict: QWARKS appears in the ESMA Register of MiCA-Authorised CASPs.
| Legal entity | QWARKS SAS |
|---|---|
| Home Member State | France |
| National Competent Authority | Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) |
| Authorisation date | |
| Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) | 969500CMLNBIVUUD9A09 |
| Authorised services | Custody, Exchange for funds, Exchange for crypto, Order execution, Portfolio management on crypto-assets, Transfer services |
Source: ESMA Register of Crypto-Asset Service Providers. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
About QWARKS
QWARKS is a French crypto-asset service provider operated by QWARKS SAS, aimed at wealth-management professionals rather than retail self-service traders. According to research summarising its registration, the company was founded in 2022 and is headquartered in Lyon, France. Its public site presents it as a Prestataire de Services sur Crypto-Actifs dedicated to professionals du patrimoine - independent financial advisers (CGP), investment advisers (CIF) and family offices - and it states that more than 200 such professionals already use it. The leadership team is named on the site as Marc Lécorché (President and co-founder), Emma Bencherif (Associate Director) and Alexandre Vallin (General Manager). Sources: QWARKS website, QWARKS LinkedIn
The core service is discretionary crypto-asset portfolio management delivered through managed mandates (mandats de gestion), not spot trading, savings, staking or a crypto card. QWARKS markets multi-asset crypto mandates with EUR/SEPA funding, and the firm states that client crypto-assets are segregated from company assets and held in the client's name in line with MiCA, that it is regularly checked by an independent external audit firm, and that its operational resilience and cybersecurity sit under the EU DORA regulation. It offers profiles such as a Dynamique and an Équilibré mandate, including a treasury-diversification mandate for companies. Source: QWARKS website
On the legal point, the contracting entity is QWARKS SAS, regulated in France by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF). It holds a CASP authorisation under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) Regulation, with licence number A2026-014, and research indicates the authorisation date was 21 May 2026. The MiCA authorisation covers the following crypto-asset services: custody and administration of crypto-assets, exchange of crypto-assets for funds, exchange of crypto-assets for other crypto-assets, execution of orders, portfolio management on crypto-assets, and transfer services. Services outside that list - for example operating a public trading platform, or issuing stablecoins (asset-referenced or e-money tokens) - are not part of this authorisation. The AMF white list is the primary register to confirm the entity's current status. Sources: AMF white list - QWARKS SAS, QWARKS website
Which crypto services is QWARKS authorised to offer in the EU?
Under its MiCA authorisation issued by Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF), QWARKS (QWARKS SAS) is approved to provide the following services to EEA residents. Each service is defined in Article 3(1)(16) of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114.
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Providing custody and administration of crypto-assets on behalf of clients
The exchange holds your crypto in its own wallets. Authorisation here means MiCA's segregation and insurance rules apply: client crypto-assets must be ring-fenced from the exchange's own funds.
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Exchange of crypto-assets for funds
The exchange offers crypto-to-fiat (e.g. BTC to EUR) and fiat-to-crypto conversion. Authorisation here implies MiCA's pricing transparency requirements.
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Exchange of crypto-assets for other crypto-assets
The exchange offers crypto-to-crypto trading (e.g. BTC to ETH). Required for most spot trading pairs not denominated in fiat.
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Execution of orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients
The exchange can place orders for you on third-party venues (smart-routing). Less common in retail crypto; relevant for brokerage-style services.
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Providing transfer services for crypto-assets on behalf of clients
The exchange can move crypto between addresses on your behalf, including off-platform withdrawals. The Travel Rule applies to these transfers.
Which services is QWARKS not authorised to offer?
QWARKS's MiCA licence does not cover: Trading platform, Placing, Order R&T, Advice, Portfolio mgmt. These services may still be offered by other authorised providers, or by QWARKS under a different regulatory framework (for example, derivatives may fall under MiFID II rather than MiCA). Source: ESMA Register, retrieved 30 June 2026.
See other MiCA-authorised exchanges by service:
Why is QWARKS licensed in France?
France ran one of the EU's earliest national crypto regimes, the PACTE Law DASP (Digital Asset Service Provider) registration, which gave the AMF years of pre-MiCA supervisory experience. The AMF began granting MiCA CASP authorisations in 2025-2026 and also maintains a public white list of CASPs passporting into France from other EEA states. BlockNodes SAS, the French entity behind the SwissBorg consumer brand, received its direct MiCA authorisation from the AMF in March 2026. Source: Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF).
| National Competent Authority | Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) |
|---|---|
| Investor compensation | Fonds de Garantie des Dépôts et de Résolution (FGDR); check directly with the AMF for crypto-asset-specific compensation scope. |
| Regulatory context | Early mover on national crypto licensing (PACTE Law) ahead of MiCA; the AMF also publishes a white list of EEA-passported CASPs. |
What does this mean for users of QWARKS in the EU?
If you transact through QWARKS's EEA-authorised entity (QWARKS SAS), 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 QWARKS's terms of service that your contracting entity is QWARKS SAS, not a non-EEA affiliate.
Which MiCA-authorised exchanges are alternatives to QWARKS?
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 QWARKS's entry on the register:
Frequently asked questions about QWARKS and MiCA
Is QWARKS licensed under MiCA?
Yes. QWARKS appears in the ESMA Register of MiCA-Authorised Crypto-Asset Service Providers, with its authorisation issued by the competent authority of France.
Which EU countries can QWARKS 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 QWARKS 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 QWARKS'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 QWARKS'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.