Crypto license in Montenegro

Montenegro

Montenegro currently has no dedicated 'crypto license' or CASP (Crypto-Asset Service Provider) authorisation regime. As of the most recent regulatory review (26 July 2026), there is no Montenegrin law on digital, virtual, or crypto assets, and neither the central bank…

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Jurisdiction	Montenegro
License type	Crypto license
Regulator	Capital Market Authority (CMA)

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Capital Market Authority (CMA)

Regulator responsible for CASP registration under the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing, permitting eight categories of crypto-asset services including exchange, custody, trading-platform operation, brokerage and crypto-to-fiat conversion. https://scmn.me

Overview

Montenegro currently has no dedicated 'crypto license' or CASP (Crypto-Asset Service Provider) authorisation regime. As of the most recent regulatory review (26 July 2026), there is no Montenegrin law on digital, virtual, or crypto assets, and neither the central bank nor the capital-markets regulator issues any crypto-specific licence or registration. A crypto business in Montenegro instead operates as an ordinary registered company while carrying full anti-money-laundering (AML) obligations from day one. This page explains the real regulatory landscape and the company-formation route that is actually available today, together with the incorporation support we can provide.

Regulatory Status

Alternative

Because there is no crypto licence to apply for, the foundation of any Montenegrin crypto business is standard company registration with the Central Registry of Business Entities (Centralni registar privrednih subjekata, CRPS), which operates under the Tax Administration of Montenegro (official registrar URL not confirmed in the sources reviewed).

For a licensing-adjacent, regulated-style operating business, the simplest and recommended default legal form is the DOO — Društvo sa ograničenom odgovornošću (the Montenegrin equivalent of a Limited Liability Company). Montenegrin law also provides other legal forms — the AD (joint-stock company), Ortačko društvo (general partnership), Komanditno društvo (limited partnership), Preduzetnik (sole proprietorship), and Podružnica strane kompanije (branch of a foreign company) — see our Basic company reference for details; the DOO remains the form generally suited to running a licensed or regulated-adjacent business.

Once incorporated, a Montenegrin company can open a corporate account with one of the country's major banks, including NLB Banka Podgorica, Erste Bank Podgorica, Hipotekarna Banka, and Prva Banka Crne Gore.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an official Montenegro crypto license or CASP/VASP registration?

No. As of the latest regulatory review, Montenegro has neither a licensing nor a registration regime for crypto-asset activity. There is no Zakon o digitalnoj imovini, o virtuelnim aktivama, or o kriptoimovini, and the Ministry of Finance has confirmed no such law is on the government's current work programme.

Why do some consultants advertise a 'Montenegro crypto license' with a fixed fee?

This is not an accurate description of current law. Both the central bank and the capital markets regulator confirm there is no legal basis for issuing or applying for such an authorisation, so any product marketed as a 'Montenegro CASP licence' should be treated with caution.

How does a crypto business actually operate in Montenegro today?

It registers as an ordinary company through the Central Registry of Business Entities (CRPS) — the same route as any other business — and then carries full AML-obliged-entity duties under the AML/CFT law, without any separate authorisation step.

What legal form should I use?

The DOO (Društvo sa ograničenom odgovornošću), Montenegro's LLC equivalent, is the recommended default form for a licensing-adjacent operating business, though other forms such as the AD (joint-stock company) also exist under Montenegrin company law.

Do I have AML obligations even without a licence?

Yes. Crypto-asset service providers are directly listed as obliged persons under the AML/CFT law (čl. 4 st. 2 t. 12), meaning AML duties apply automatically from the start of crypto-asset business activity.

Can Montenegrin banks offer crypto services?

The Law on Credit Institutions permits licensed banks to provide crypto-asset-related services 'in accordance with regulations governing crypto-asset matters' — but since no such regulations have been adopted, this provision is currently inoperative and does not extend to non-bank operators.

Is Montenegro's crypto regime linked to the EU's MiCA framework?

Not yet. Montenegro's EU accession chapters on capital movement and financial services remain open but unclosed, and the European Commission's 2025 report on Montenegro does not mention crypto or MiCA.

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