> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://faq.finchtrade.com/guide/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://faq.finchtrade.com/guide/regulatory-compliance/do-i-need-a-crypto-license-to-offer-crypto-features.md). # Do i need a crypto license to offer crypto features? The honest answer: it depends. Specifically, it depends on what you're offering, where, and to whom. This page walks through the framework that actually drives the answer, and the typical conclusions for common B2B platform scenarios. ## The framework Three questions determine whether you need a licence. **1. What activity are you performing?** Each jurisdiction defines crypto-related activities that require permission. Common ones include exchange (between fiat and crypto, or between different crypto assets), custody (holding crypto on behalf of others), transfer services (moving crypto on behalf of clients), trading (operating a venue or matching orders), and advice. Pure software (read-only tools, educational content, non-custodial wallets in some jurisdictions) often doesn't trigger licensing. Active intermediation usually does. **2. Where are you performing it?** The jurisdictional question has two sides — where your business is registered, and where your customers are. EU customers trigger MiCA scrutiny. UK customers trigger FCA scrutiny. US customers trigger state-by-state and federal scrutiny. Each market has its own rules; rules in one market don't extend to others. **3. Who are your customers?** Retail vs. professional vs. institutional matters in most regimes. Retail customers typically trigger more obligations than B2B. Some operations that require full licensing for retail are workable B2B-only. The combination of these three determines what permissions you need (if any), where you need them, and how easy or hard they are to obtain. ## Common scenarios ### "I'm building a software tool that integrates with crypto wallets and shows users their balances." Probably no licence needed. Read-only software that doesn't custody, move, or exchange funds typically doesn't trigger licensing. The user retains control of their assets; the software is a viewer. The boundary cases are interesting — software that initiates transactions on the user's behalf (signing, in some self-custody contexts) starts to look more like a regulated activity in some jurisdictions. Specifics matter. ### "I'm building a crypto exchange that lets users buy and sell." You need a licence in the jurisdictions where you operate. Exchanges fall squarely in scope of crypto regulation everywhere it exists. EU operations require CASP authorisation under MiCA. UK operations require FCA registration. Switzerland has VQF or direct FINMA authorisation depending on activity. Each requires application, capital, and ongoing compliance. ### "I'm a payments platform adding crypto acceptance for merchants." Likely yes, with the specifics depending on your role. If you're receiving and converting crypto on behalf of merchants, you're performing regulated activity (exchange, possibly custody, possibly transfer). You need a licence yourself or a partnership with a licensed operator. If you're only orchestrating — your merchants receive directly, your platform just integrates checkout — the requirements may be lighter, but the line is fact-specific. ### "I'm a payroll platform paying contractors in stablecoins." Likely yes. Converting fiat to stablecoin, holding stablecoin balances on behalf of clients, and executing transfers all touch regulated activities in most jurisdictions. The specifics depend on whether your platform is the regulated party or whether you're operating under a partner's framework. ### "I'm a treasury platform letting SMEs hold and convert stablecoins." Likely yes for the holding-and-converting parts. Treasury tools can stay clear of licensing if they're purely read-only or purely advisory; once they move funds or hold balances, they're in regulated territory. ### "I'm a wallet that lets users trade crypto." Likely yes for the trading part. Self-custody wallets can stay clear of licensing for storage, but adding trading turns the wallet into something that performs an exchange activity. ### "I'm a B2B marketplace adding crypto settlement between participants." Likely yes for the settlement piece. Operating settlement on behalf of others is typically regulated. The marketplace's other functions (matching, communication) usually aren't. ### "I'm an accounting platform that lets customers pay invoices in stablecoins." Likely yes. The pay-an-invoice flow involves moving funds on behalf of the customer, which is regulated transfer activity in most jurisdictions. ## The three paths For most B2B platforms that conclude they need permission, three paths exist. **Get your own licence.** The right answer if crypto is your core product or will become so. Long timeline (often 6-18 months in major jurisdictions), significant cost, ongoing compliance overhead. You control your own perimeter. **Partner with a licensed operator.** A regulated firm provides infrastructure under their licence; you operate the customer-facing layer. Faster to market, lower upfront cost. Trade-off: you operate within the operator's authorisation scope. **Avoid in-scope activity.** Restructure the product to stay outside regulated activity — software-only, non-custodial, B2B-only outside reach of specific regimes. Workable for some products; constraining for others. The right path depends on the business model, the timeline, and what the platform wants to control. ## How FinchTrade fits in For partners whose use case fits within our [VQF authorisation](broken://pages/2c7da614f9e12e0c3189e30e0cc1f4389bb5ce76), [Regulated Crypto Access](file:///3576885/solutions/regulated-crypto-access/overview.md) is the partnership path. We can typically support B2B and professional-client activity globally within our framework. We cannot: * Cover MiCA-CASP-required activity in the EU (we are not a CASP) * Cover FCA-required activity for UK retail (we are not FCA-authorised) * Cover activity outside our VQF authorisation regardless of jurisdiction For partners whose use case requires authorisations we don't hold, we'll be explicit about it and refer where possible.