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Fintech Licensing Hub

Ireland

Ireland regulates crypto under MiCA through the European Union (Markets in Crypto-Assets) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 607/2024), with the Central Bank of Ireland as competent authority; it took a 12-month transition that ended 30 December 2025 off its pre-MiCA VASP registration regime, applying a high authorisation threshold focused on consumer protection. Payments and e-money run under S.I. 6/2018 (PSD2) and S.I. 183/2011 (EMD2), supervised by the Central Bank, with the Instant Payments Regulation and DORA in force and PSD3/PSR moving toward adoption. Gambling is being overhauled by the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, which created the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI): betting licences have been issued since February 2026, with gaming and other categories phasing in through 2027 — and Ireland is in the euro area and banking union, and taxes individual crypto disposals at 33% CGT.

Available licences

Crypto-Asset Service Provider authorisation (CBI under MiCAR and S.I. 607/2024)

Custody, operation of a trading platform, exchange of crypto-assets for funds or other crypto-assets, execution, placing, reception and transmission of orders, advice, portfolio management and transfer services require CBI authorisation under Article 63 MiCAR; an authorisation passports across the EEA. There is no simplified VASP-to-CASP route, and VASP status is not treated as indicative of CASP success.

Asset-Referenced Token (ART) issuer authorisation (CBI)

Public offering or admission to trading of a token referencing a basket of values, rights or currencies requires authorisation as an ART issuer under Title III MiCAR, with reserve, custody and disclosure requirements.

E-Money Token (EMT) issuer (credit institution or EMI; CBI)

EMTs (including fiat-backed stablecoins) may be issued only by an authorised credit institution or e-money institution, with redemption at par, supervised by the CBI.

Article 60 MiCAR notification route (existing financial entities)

Credit institutions, investment firms, e-money and payment institutions and other authorised entities may provide specified crypto-asset services by notifying the CBI at least 40 working days before starting.

Payment Institution authorisation (CBI under S.I. 6/2018)

A licence to provide payment services under the Irish PSD2 transposition, supervised by the Central Bank and passportable across the EEA; Ireland is a major EU hub for payment institutions.

E-Money Institution authorisation (CBI under S.I. 183/2011)

A licence to issue electronic money and provide related payment services, with EUR 350,000 minimum initial capital, supervised by the Central Bank; Ireland hosts a large share of EU e-money institutions.

Account Information and Payment Initiation Services (CBI)

Open-banking providers — account information and payment initiation service providers — fall within S.I. 6/2018, supervised by the Central Bank, with strong customer authentication.

Banking authorisation (CBI and the ECB/SSM)

Deposit-taking and lending require a banking licence; in the banking union the European Central Bank grants the licence and directly supervises significant institutions, with the Central Bank supervising less-significant ones.

Investment firm authorisation (CBI — MiFID II)

Investment services in financial instruments require authorisation under the Irish MiFID II regulations, supervised by the Central Bank.

Betting licence — remote and in-person (GRAI)

A GRAI licence under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 to offer betting to customers in Ireland; the GRAI has been accepting applications for and issuing remote and in-person betting licences since February 2026 via its Operator Portal.

Gaming, lottery, B2B and charitable licences (GRAI)

The GRAI is rolling out further licence categories — business-to-consumer gaming and lottery, business-to-business, and charitable or philanthropic gambling — on a phased basis through 2026 and 2027; the National Lottery remains separately regulated.

Detailed overview

Ireland at a glance

Ireland combines a cautious financial supervisor, a major fintech base and a gambling sector mid-reform. Crypto is supervised by the CBI under S.I. 607/2024; the 12-month transition ended 30 December 2025. Payments run under S.I. 6/2018 and S.I. 183/2011 with the Central Bank as supervisor and the Instant Payments Regulation and DORA in force. Gambling is being rebuilt under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, with the GRAI issuing betting licences and phasing in other categories. The euro is the currency, and Ireland sits inside the euro area and banking union.

Crypto regime under MiCA — CBI-led, high authorisation bar:

  • MiCA + national implementing law — Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCAR); the European Union (Markets in Crypto-Assets) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 607/2024), designating the CBI
  • Competent authority — the CBI for CASP authorisation and ART/EMT supervision
  • Grandfathering — closed. Ireland shortened the transition to 12 months: VASPs registered with the CBI and operating before 30 December 2024 could continue until 30 December 2025 or until their CASP application was decided; that window has expired
  • Pre-MiCA heritage — VASP registration with the CBI (since April 2021) was AML/CFT-only; MiCA is far broader, there is no simplified conversion, and VASP status is not treated as indicative of CASP success
  • Process — pre-application engagement (via the CBI Innovation Hub for non-regulated firms), a Key Facts Document for initial assessment, then a full Article 62 application; the CBI applies a high threshold, with particular scepticism toward retail-marketed unbacked crypto
  • AML/CFT — the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 applies; the EU AML package (Regulation (EU) 2024/1624 / AMLR, with AMLA in Frankfurt) applies from 10 July 2027
  • TFR / DORA — the Travel Rule (Regulation (EU) 2023/1113) applies from 30 December 2024 and DORA from 17 January 2025
  • Tax — for individuals, crypto disposals (sale, exchange, gift or spending, including crypto-to-crypto) are subject to Capital Gains Tax at 33%, with the first EUR 1,270 of annual gains exempt; crypto earned through trading, mining or employment is taxed as income; corporate trading profits are taxed at 12.5%, with chargeable gains under CGT principles

Payments and e-money regime (CBI-led):

  • PSD2 — Directive (EU) 2015/2366; transposed by S.I. 6/2018, supervised by the Central Bank
  • Payment Institution licensing — initial capital EUR 20,000 (money remittance), EUR 50,000 (payment initiation) and EUR 125,000 (other payment services)
  • EMD2 / E-Money Institution — Directive 2009/110/EC, transposed by S.I. 183/2011; EUR 350,000 initial capital; stablecoin (EMT) issuers must be EMIs or credit institutions
  • Instant Payments Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2024/886) — euro instant payments: receiving applicable from 9 January 2025 and sending from 9 October 2025
  • DORA (Regulation (EU) 2022/2554) — applicable from 17 January 2025
  • PSD3 / PSR — Commission proposals of 28 June 2023; provisional political agreement reached 27 November 2025, with final compromise texts published 23 April 2026 and formal adoption expected during 2026; the package will repeal PSD2 and EMD2 and fold e-money institutions into payment institutions, with PSD3 transposed nationally and the PSR directly applicable after a phased timeline
  • Banking — in the banking union the ECB grants banking licences and directly supervises significant institutions, with the Central Bank supervising less-significant ones
  • Currency: euro (since 1999/2002); no exchange controls

Gambling regime — GRAI-led, phased rollout:

  • Gambling Regulation Act 2024 (Act 35 of 2024) — enacted 23 October 2024; the most significant reform of Irish gambling law in nearly a century, repealing the Betting Act 1931, the Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 and related legislation
  • Regulator — the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), operational on a statutory basis since March 2025
  • Licensing rollout — the GRAI has been issuing remote and in-person betting licences since 5 February 2026, with business-to-consumer gaming and lottery, business-to-business and charitable licences phasing in through 2026 and 2027
  • Licence categories — B2C gaming, betting and lottery; B2B; and charitable/philanthropic gambling; the National Lottery is separately regulated under the National Lottery Act 2013
  • Player protection — a National Gambling Exclusion Register, a Social Impact Fund (a turnover-based levy on licensees), a ban on inducements and free bets, a ban on credit-card deposits, mandatory ID verification, and an advertising watershed (no gambling ads on TV, radio or on-demand media between 5:30am and 9:00pm)
  • Enforcement — administrative sanctions of up to EUR 20 million or 10% of turnover
  • Tax — betting duty applies (a turnover-based duty on bookmakers); gambling winnings are not taxable for players
  • Minimum age — 18; no EU passport (gambling is licensed nationally)

Last verified: July 2026. Reference rate: USD 1 = EUR 0.87 (EUR 1 = USD 1.15).

Ireland is a cautious, euro-area jurisdiction: crypto runs under MiCAR with a high-bar Central Bank, payments sit under S.I. 6/2018 in a major EU fintech hub, and gambling is being rebuilt under the 2024 Act, with the new GRAI issuing betting licences and phasing in the rest.

Is there a crypto licence in Ireland?

Yes. Ireland applies MiCAR through S.I. 607/2024, with the Central Bank of Ireland authorising and supervising CASPs and ART/EMT issuers. The 12-month transition ended 30 December 2025, so operating now requires a CBI authorisation, a valid MiCA passport, or an Article 60 notification.

The legal foundation:

  • Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCAR) — the directly applicable EU framework for offerings, admission and crypto-asset services
  • European Union (Markets in Crypto-Assets) Regulations 2024 (S.I. 607/2024) — designates the CBI as competent authority
  • Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010 — AML/CFT obligations and FIU reporting
  • Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 — Travel Rule for crypto-asset transfers

Structure:

  • An Irish entity with fit-and-proper management, substantive local presence and qualifying shareholders
  • MiCAR own-funds floors by class — EUR 50,000 (Class 1), EUR 125,000 (Class 2), EUR 150,000 (Class 3) — with the higher of the floor or a fixed-overheads measure
  • AML systems, a white paper for in-scope offerings, custody and client-asset segregation, ICT and governance documentation, and a business plan — submitted to the CBI after pre-application engagement

Operational reality:

  • The CBI is thorough and applies a high authorisation threshold, with notable scepticism toward retail-marketed unbacked crypto, so applicants should expect detailed scrutiny and strong consumer-protection expectations
  • Ireland's deep fintech ecosystem, EU passporting and English-language base are real advantages once authorised
  • New activity should be structured through a CBI authorisation, a valid passport or an Article 60 notification — not the closed transitional regime

Official CASP roadmap: The CBI maintains a dedicated MiCAR hub with a FAQ, a Guidance Note for CASPs (covering the Key Facts Document), and a statement of Authorisation and Supervision Expectations, and runs a pre-application engagement process; the 12-month transition ended 30 December 2025.

Payments & E-money (CBI — PSD2 / EMD2)

Best for payment, remittance, acquiring, wallet and open-banking operators that want a large, English-language EU fintech hub with strong passporting.

What it is: Authorisation as a payment institution (S.I. 6/2018) or e-money institution (S.I. 183/2011), supervised by the Central Bank and passportable across the EEA.

Who it suits: Money-remittance and transfer providers, acquirers, card and wallet issuers, payment-initiation and account-information providers, and e-money issuers (including stablecoin issuers, who must be EMIs or credit institutions).

Covers: The payment services under S.I. 6/2018 — incoming and outgoing transactions, transfers, card and instrument-based payments, money remittance, payment initiation and account information — plus issuance of electronic money.

Operational requirement: An Irish entity; minimum initial capital by service type; ongoing own-funds and safeguarding of client funds; strong customer authentication; AML/CFT; DORA operational-resilience obligations; and fit-and-proper management.

Headline figures

  • Primary instruments: S.I. 6/2018 (PSD2); S.I. 183/2011 (EMD2); Instant Payments Regulation (EU) 2024/886; DORA (Regulation (EU) 2022/2554)
  • Regulator: Central Bank of Ireland (authorisation and supervision)
  • Entry capital: payment institutions EUR 20,000 / 50,000 / 125,000 by service type; e-money institutions EUR 350,000
  • Instant payments: euro instant payments receiving from 9 January 2025 and sending from 9 October 2025
  • Reform pipeline: PSD3 / PSR — political agreement November 2025, compromise texts April 2026, adoption expected during 2026; EMD2 to be repealed and EMIs folded into payment institutions
  • Currency: euro (euro-area member); no exchange controls

Is there a gambling licence in Ireland?

Yes, increasingly. Under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024, the GRAI has been issuing remote and in-person betting licences since February 2026, with gaming and other categories phasing in through 2027.

The legal foundation:

  • Gambling Regulation Act 2024 — the framework that replaced the Betting Act 1931 and Gaming and Lotteries Act 1956 and created the GRAI
  • National Lottery Act 2013 — the National Lottery, regulated separately
  • GRAI — licensing and supervision of betting, gaming and lottery activities

Structure:

  • Betting licences (remote and in-person) are available now; gaming, lottery, B2B and charitable licences are being phased in
  • Strong player-protection obligations apply, including the National Gambling Exclusion Register, the Social Impact Fund levy, and advertising restrictions
  • The National Lottery is outside the GRAI's remit

Gambling — Betting and gaming licences (GRAI)

Best for betting and gaming operators serving Irish customers who can meet the GRAI's corporate, financial and technical checks and strict player-protection rules.

What it is: GRAI licences under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 — remote and in-person betting now, with gaming and other categories following.

Who it suits: Operators able to pass the GRAI's three-pillar assessment (corporate, financial, technical) and meet the new consumer-protection regime.

Covers: Betting (live); B2C gaming and lottery, B2B and charitable categories as they commence.

Operational requirement: Exclusion-register integration, deposit and spend limits, no credit-card deposits, no inducements, ID verification, AML/CFT and advertising compliance.

Headline figures

  • Primary instruments: Gambling Regulation Act 2024
  • Regulator: Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI)
  • Rollout: betting licences since 5 February 2026; gaming and other categories phasing through 2026–2027
  • Enforcement: administrative sanctions up to EUR 20 million or 10% of turnover
  • Tax: betting duty on bookmakers (turnover-based); winnings not taxable for players; Social Impact Fund levy on licensees
  • Player protection: minimum age 18; National Gambling Exclusion Register; advertising watershed (5:30am–9:00pm); no credit-card deposits or inducements

Costs and timelines at a glance

  • Crypto: MiCAR via S.I. 607/2024, CBI for CASPs/ARTs/EMTs; own-funds floors EUR 50,000 / 125,000 / 150,000 by class; pre-application engagement plus a 40-working-day decision; transitional regime closed 30 December 2025
  • Payments primary instruments: S.I. 6/2018 (PSD2); S.I. 183/2011 (EMD2); Instant Payments Regulation (EU) 2024/886; DORA
  • Payments regulator: Central Bank of Ireland; banking licences via the ECB/SSM (banking-union member)
  • Reform pipeline: PSD3 / PSR — agreement November 2025, compromise texts April 2026, adoption expected during 2026
  • Gambling: Gambling Regulation Act 2024 — GRAI betting licences live since February 2026; gaming and other categories phasing to 2027; sanctions up to EUR 20m or 10% of turnover
  • Tax: corporate trading rate 12.5%; individual crypto disposals taxed at 33% CGT (EUR 1,270 annual exemption)
  • Currency: euro (euro-area and banking-union member); no exchange controls
  • FX: USD 1 = EUR 0.87 (EUR 1 = USD 1.15)

Who Ireland suits and who it does not

Suitable for

  • Crypto exchanges, custodians and token issuers prepared for a high-bar, consumer-protection-focused Central Bank process, with EEA passporting and an English-language base
  • Stablecoin issuers seeking an EMT/EMI route in a major EU e-money hub
  • Already-licensed banks, investment firms, payment and e-money institutions that can add crypto-asset services through the Article 60 notification route
  • Payment, remittance, acquiring, wallet and open-banking operators wanting one of the EU's largest fintech hubs with deep passporting experience
  • Betting and gaming operators ready to enter Ireland's new GRAI-licensed regime as it phases in

Not suitable for

  • Firms wanting a light-touch or fast crypto authorisation — the CBI applies a high threshold and is sceptical of retail-marketed unbacked crypto
  • Providers relying on a former VASP registration — the transition closed on 30 December 2025, and there is no simplified conversion
  • Operators wanting a long-term, low-tax personal crypto regime — disposals attract 33% CGT
  • Gambling operators expecting the full licensing regime to be live across all categories — the GRAI rollout is phased through 2027
  • Payment or e-money firms expecting to avoid EU prudential, safeguarding, DORA or AML obligations

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