Methodology

Q: How are authorisation dates determined?

Where available, we use the ac_authorisationNotificationDate field from the ESMA CSV register - the date ESMA was notified of the national competent authority's authorisation decision. For exchanges where the ESMA CSV date differs from the national regulator's press release date or the exchange's own announcement, we use the earliest primary-source date we can defensibly cite and record the discrepancy in our internal data. In all cases, the source-of-truth for each entry is noted in our data layer. If you believe a date is wrong, send a primary-source link to our contact page.

Every fact on The Crypto Register is sourced from a primary authority. ESMA, GLEIF, national competent authorities. Refreshed weekly. Corrections welcome.

Which exchanges does The Crypto Register cover?

The Crypto Register currently indexes consumer-facing crypto exchanges that are actively marketed to retail users across the EU and EEA. Our initial set covers the largest exchanges by estimated EU user base (exchanges a typical retail investor is likely to encounter when searching online or via app stores). The site does not currently index every entity in the ESMA Register: B2B custodians, asset managers, payment institutions whose crypto offering is incidental, and banks authorised under MiCA alongside existing banking licences are not included in the current release. The ESMA Register of Crypto-Asset Service Providers is the authoritative and complete source - visit ESMA's MiCA page to search all authorised CASPs. We are expanding coverage progressively; if a consumer-facing exchange you use is missing, use the contact page to flag it.

How does The Crypto Register source its data?

Every claim on every page is sourced to a primary authority. Our core inputs are:

The ESMA Register of Crypto-Asset Service Providers for authorisation status, legal entities, jurisdictions, and authorised services per exchange.
The GLEIF Legal Entity Identifier database for cross-verification of entity identity and corporate structure.
The official websites of national competent authorities (BaFin, AFM, MFSA, CSSF, FMA, AMF, CySEC, CBI, DNB and others) for jurisdiction-specific authorisations and public consumer notices.
EUR-Lex for the authoritative text of Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA) and related implementing acts.

How are authorisation dates determined?

Where available, we use the ac_authorisationNotificationDate field from the ESMA CSV register - the date ESMA was notified of the national competent authority's authorisation decision. For exchanges where the ESMA CSV date differs from the national regulator's press release date or the exchange's own announcement, we use the earliest primary-source date we can defensibly cite and record the discrepancy in our internal data. In all cases, the source-of-truth for each entry is noted in our data layer. If you believe a date is wrong, send a primary-source link to our contact page.

How often is the data refreshed?

Authorisation data from the ESMA register and GLEIF is refreshed weekly. National competent authority pages are sampled weekly for new public notices. The full site rebuild runs weekly.

How are corrections handled?

Send corrections to our contact page with a link to a primary source. Every correction request is investigated. When supported by primary-source evidence, the correction is reflected in the next weekly rebuild, normally within 48 hours.

What does The Crypto Register not do?

We do not provide legal or financial advice. We do not accept exchange-supplied data. We do not run paid placements or commercial relationships with any listed provider. We do not publish exchange-specific allegations beyond what is in the primary public record from regulators.

Advertising and editorial independence

The site carries display advertising served by Google AdSense. Advertising revenue covers operating costs. No advertiser has any influence over which exchanges we cover, what verdict they receive, or how their data is presented. The two-source rule and primary-source-only policy are non-negotiable regardless of any advertising relationship.