CASP license in Czech Republic

Czech Republic

The CASP – Crypto-Asset Service Provider licence is the regulatory authorisation required in the Czech Republic for businesses providing crypto-asset services under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework. In the Czech Republic this licence is issued and supervised by…

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Before applying for a CASP licence, a company must first be legally established in the Czech Republic. Businesses are registered in the Veřejný rejstřík a Sbírka listin (Public Register and Collection of Deeds), Ministry of Justice, administered through the regional registry courts.

For licensing purposes, the recommended default legal form is the Společnost s ručením omezeným (s.r.o.) — the Czech equivalent of a Limited Liability Company (LLC). It is the standard general-purpose vehicle used for licensed commercial activity in the country, though other forms (joint-stock company/a.s., partnerships, cooperatives, branches, sole proprietorship) are also available — see the Basic company reference for the full comparison.

Key known features of the s.r.o.:

• A single founder/shareholder is permitted (single-member s.r.o. is allowed).
• A registered seat/office address in the Czech Republic is required.
• General Czech company law does not impose a substantial minimum share-capital requirement — historically a nominal amount (e.g. 1 CZK per shareholder) has been sufficient for an LLC.
• The formation package typically includes: a notarised articles of association / memorandum of association (společenská smlouva), the application for entry into the Public Register, and proof of the registered seat/office.

For banking, established Czech commercial banks offering corporate accounts include Česká spořitelna, Komerční banka, ČSOB, Raiffeisenbank a.s., and UniCredit Bank Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Czech Republic implements the EU-wide MiCA regime through its national regulator, the Czech National Bank (ČNB), which directly licenses and supervises Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASP). This gives a CASP licence obtained in the Czech Republic recognition across the framework shared by other MiCA jurisdictions, since ČNB already has an established track record — having issued CASP licences to 11 providers to date.

The regulatory landscape has recently changed: prior to 1 January 2025, the Czech Republic had no dedicated crypto licence, and crypto-related activity was instead conducted as a licensed trade under the general authorisation procedure of the Ministry of Industry and Trade's Trade Licensing Register, with AML/KYC supervisory obligations sitting with the Financial Analytical Office (FAÚ) as the national financial intelligence unit. From 1 January 2025, MiCA implementation requires all cryptocurrency companies to hold a CASP licence, issued by ČNB.

A transitional arrangement additionally allowed businesses already holding a VASP registration to continue operating under the pre-MiCA rules until 31 July 2025, after which operation is expected to require the full CASP licence.

The CASP – Crypto-Asset Service Provider licence is the regulatory authorisation required in the Czech Republic for businesses providing crypto-asset services under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework. In the Czech Republic this licence is issued and supervised by the Czech National Bank (ČNB), which lists 'Kryptoaktiva' (crypto-assets) among its formal areas of financial-market supervision alongside banks, insurers, investment firms and payment institutions. As of the information on file, ČNB has already granted CASP licences to 11 entities operating in the Czech market.

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• Czech National Bank