Licentium

Fintech Licensing Hub

Lithuania

Lithuania regulates crypto under MiCA through its Law on Cryptoasset Markets, with the Bank of Lithuania as competent authority; it set one of the EU's shortest transitions — extended by parliament to 1 January 2026 — off a once-popular VASP regime. As the EU's largest payments and e-money hub, Lithuania licenses payment and e-money institutions through the Bank of Lithuania with direct SEPA access via CENTROlink, under the PSD2/EMD2 transposition, with the Instant Payments Regulation and DORA in force and PSD3/PSR moving toward adoption. Gambling is regulated by the Gaming Control Authority (LPT) under the Gaming Law: remote gambling is licensed, taxed on gross gaming revenue, and the minimum age was raised to 21 in July 2025 — and Lithuania is in the euro area and banking union, and taxes individual crypto gains at 15% (with progressive rates from 2026).

Available licences

Crypto-Asset Service Provider authorisation (Bank of Lithuania under MiCAR and the Law on Cryptoasset Markets)

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 Bank of Lithuania authorisation under Article 63 MiCAR; an authorisation passports across the EEA.

Asset-Referenced Token (ART) issuer authorisation (Bank of Lithuania)

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; Bank of Lithuania)

EMTs (including fiat-backed stablecoins) may be issued only by an authorised credit institution or e-money institution, with redemption at par; Lithuania's large EMI base and CENTROlink access make it a practical EMT venue.

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 Bank of Lithuania at least 40 working days before starting.

Payment Institution authorisation (Bank of Lithuania)

A licence to provide the full catalogue of PSD2 payment services, supervised by the Bank of Lithuania and passportable across the EEA; a Small PI regime (no EU passport) is available for firms under EUR 3 million average monthly volume.

E-Money Institution authorisation (Bank of Lithuania)

A licence to issue electronic money and provide related payment services, with EUR 350,000 initial capital for an unrestricted EMI; a Small EMI regime is available. Lithuania is one of the EU's largest EMI hubs.

Account Information and Payment Initiation Services (Bank of Lithuania)

Open-banking providers — account information and payment initiation service providers — are supervised by the Bank of Lithuania, with strong customer authentication under PSD2.

Banking and specialised-bank authorisation (Bank of Lithuania and the ECB/SSM)

Deposit-taking and lending require a banking licence; in the banking union the ECB grants the licence and directly supervises significant institutions. Lithuania also offers a specialised-bank licence (EUR 1 million capital) for core banking services.

Investment firm authorisation (Bank of Lithuania — MiFID II)

Investment services in financial instruments require authorisation under the Lithuanian MiFID II transposition, supervised by the Bank of Lithuania.

Remote (online) gambling licence (LPT)

To offer remote table games, gaming machines, betting, totalizator or bingo, an operator needs a gaming licence, a remote-gaming permission and LPT approval of its remote-gaming regulation; a land-based venue is no longer required.

Land-based gambling and lottery licences (LPT)

Land-based casinos, betting shops, gaming-machine halls and bingo, and lotteries (under the Law on Lotteries), are separately licensed by the LPT.

Detailed overview

Lithuania at a glance

Lithuania combines a digital-forward supervisor, the EU's largest payments and e-money base, and a strict, modernising gambling regime. Crypto is supervised by the Bank of Lithuania under the Law on Cryptoasset Markets; the transition closed on 1 January 2026. Payments run under the Lithuanian PSD2/EMD2 framework with CENTROlink access and the Instant Payments Regulation and DORA in force. Gambling runs under the Gaming Law, supervised by the LPT. The euro is the currency, and Lithuania sits inside the euro area and banking union.

Crypto regime under MiCA — Bank of Lithuania-led, fintech hub:

  • MiCA + national implementing law — Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCAR); the Law on Cryptoasset Markets (adopted 11 July 2024), designating the Bank of Lithuania under MiCA Title V
  • Competent authority — the Bank of Lithuania for CASP authorisation and ART/EMT supervision, with the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT) on AML and fit-and-proper input
  • Grandfathering — closed. Lithuania set one of the EU's shortest transitions (originally to 1 June 2025), which the Seimas extended to 1 January 2026: VASPs operating before 30 December 2024 could continue while applying for CASP authorisation, but that window has expired and unlicensed activity is now illegal
  • Pre-MiCA heritage — Lithuania hosted one of the EU's largest VASP populations (over 370 registered, though far fewer actually operating); the shift to CASP licensing has driven sharp consolidation
  • Process — a fully digital, English-language application via the Bank of Lithuania, with a public CASP register
  • AML/CFT — Lithuanian AML law applies, with the FNTT; 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, occasional crypto gains are taxed at 15% above a EUR 2,500 annual exemption (20% historically for higher earners), with crypto-to-crypto treated as a taxable disposal; from 1 January 2026 personal income tax becomes progressive (20%/25%/32%) on aggregate income. Crypto exchange is VAT-exempt. Corporate income tax is 16% (rising to 17% from 2026), with reduced rates for small companies

Payments and e-money regime (Bank of Lithuania-led, EU's largest hub):

  • PSD2 — Directive (EU) 2015/2366; transposed by the Law on Payments and the Law on Payment Institutions, supervised by the Bank of Lithuania
  • Payment Institution licensing — initial capital EUR 20,000 (money remittance), EUR 50,000 (payment initiation) and EUR 125,000 (other payment services); a Small PI regime applies under EUR 3 million average monthly volume
  • EMD2 / E-Money Institution — Directive 2009/110/EC, transposed by the Law on Electronic Money and Electronic Money Institutions; EUR 350,000 initial capital for an unrestricted EMI, with a Small EMI regime; stablecoin (EMT) issuers must be EMIs or credit institutions
  • CENTROlink — the Bank of Lithuania's payment system gives licensed PIs and EMIs direct access to SEPA Credit Transfer, SEPA Instant, TARGET2 and SWIFT, bypassing commercial correspondent banks — Lithuania's signature advantage
  • 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
  • Banking — in the banking union the ECB grants banking licences and directly supervises significant institutions; a specialised-bank licence (EUR 1 million capital) is also available
  • Currency: euro (since 2015); no exchange controls

Gambling regime — LPT-licensed, strict and modernising:

  • Gaming Law (Lošimų įstatymas) and the Law on Lotteries — the framework; remote gambling is licensed, with the land-based-venue requirement removed in 2022
  • Regulator — the Gaming Control Authority (LPT), under the Ministry of Finance
  • Remote gambling — requires a gaming licence, a remote-gaming permission and LPT approval of the operator's remote-gaming regulation; only "white-listed" operators may serve Lithuanian residents
  • Tax — betting, totalizator and remote gambling are taxed on gross gaming revenue (a 2025 reform raised rates, with online casino and slots moving toward 22%); land-based casinos and machines pay fixed per-device fees
  • Enforcement — a blacklist of unlicensed operators (around 1,600 sites), with banks and EMIs required to block payments to them
  • Minimum age — raised from 18 to 21 from 1 July 2025 (the national lottery remains 18), with biometric age verification and a self-exclusion register
  • Advertising — a near-total advertising ban is being phased in from July 2025, with sponsorship bans by 2028
  • No EU passport — gambling is licensed nationally

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

Lithuania is a fintech-hub, euro-area jurisdiction: crypto runs under MiCAR with the Bank of Lithuania, payments sit at the EU's largest e-money base with direct SEPA access via CENTROlink, and gambling is a strict, LPT-licensed market with a 21 age limit and a near-total advertising ban.

Is there a crypto licence in Lithuania?

Yes. Lithuania applies MiCAR through its Law on Cryptoasset Markets, with the Bank of Lithuania authorising and supervising CASPs and ART/EMT issuers. The transition closed on 1 January 2026, so operating now requires a Bank of Lithuania 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
  • Law on Cryptoasset Markets — implements MiCAR in Lithuanian law and designates the Bank of Lithuania
  • Lithuanian AML law — AML/CFT obligations, with the FNTT
  • Regulation (EU) 2023/1113 — Travel Rule for crypto-asset transfers

Structure:

  • A Lithuanian entity with fit-and-proper management, local substance 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 digitally to the Bank of Lithuania

Operational reality:

  • Lithuania is a digital-first regulator with deep fintech infrastructure, a large EMI ecosystem and direct SEPA access — practical advantages for crypto businesses needing euro rails
  • The VASP-to-CASP shift has been a hard reset: a large registered base has shrunk to a much smaller set of authorised CASPs, and the bar is materially higher
  • New activity should be structured through a Bank of Lithuania authorisation, a valid passport or an Article 60 notification — not the closed transitional regime

Official CASP roadmap: The Bank of Lithuania is the sole CASP authority under the Law on Cryptoasset Markets, runs a fully digital application process, publishes a public CASP register and methodological guidance, and confirmed the transition ended on 1 January 2026.

Payments & E-money (Bank of Lithuania — PSD2 / EMD2)

Best for payment, remittance, acquiring, wallet and open-banking operators that want the EU's largest e-money hub with direct SEPA access via CENTROlink.

What it is: Authorisation as a payment institution or e-money institution under the Lithuanian PSD2/EMD2 framework, supervised by the Bank of Lithuania and passportable across the EEA, with optional Small PI/EMI regimes.

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

Covers: The full PSD2 Annex I catalogue — money remittance, acquiring, card and instrument issuing, payment initiation and account information — plus issuance of electronic money.

Operational requirement: A Lithuanian entity with local directors and key staff (MLRO, risk, IT) and a real office; minimum initial capital by service type; safeguarding of client funds; strong customer authentication; AML/CFT; and DORA operational-resilience obligations.

Headline figures

  • Primary instruments: Law on Payments; Law on Payment Institutions; Law on Electronic Money and Electronic Money Institutions (PSD2 / EMD2); Instant Payments Regulation (EU) 2024/886; DORA (Regulation (EU) 2022/2554)
  • Regulator: Bank of Lithuania (authorisation and supervision); CENTROlink for direct SEPA access
  • Entry capital: payment institutions EUR 20,000 / 50,000 / 125,000 by service type; unrestricted e-money institutions EUR 350,000; Small PI/EMI regimes available
  • 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 Lithuania?

Yes. The LPT licenses remote (online) gambling — table games, gaming machines, betting, totalizator and bingo — under the Gaming Law, alongside land-based gambling and lotteries.

The legal foundation:

  • Gaming Law (Lošimų įstatymas) and the Law on Lotteries — the framework
  • LPT — licensing and supervision under the Ministry of Finance
  • Remote-gaming conditions — a gaming licence, a remote-gaming permission and LPT approval of the operator's remote-gaming regulation

Structure:

  • Remote gambling is open to licensed, white-listed operators; a land-based venue is no longer required
  • Unlicensed operators are blacklisted, and banks and EMIs must block payments to them
  • Lotteries are regulated separately under the Law on Lotteries

Gambling — Remote (online) gambling licence (LPT)

Best for operators able to meet Lithuania's licensing, white-listing and strict player-protection requirements in a modernising market.

What it is: An LPT remote-gaming licence (plus permission and approved regulation) to offer online casino, betting and other remote gaming to Lithuanian players.

Who it suits: Operators able to meet financial, technical and AML requirements and the new player-protection regime.

Covers: Remote table games, gaming machines, betting, totalizator and bingo.

Operational requirement: White-listing, identity and biometric age verification (minimum age 21), self-exclusion-register integration, AML/CFT, and compliance with the advertising restrictions.

Headline figures

  • Primary instruments: Gaming Law; Law on Lotteries
  • Regulator: Gaming Control Authority (LPT)
  • Tax: betting, totalizator and remote gambling taxed on gross gaming revenue (rates raised in 2025, online casino/slots toward 22%); land-based by fixed per-device fees
  • Enforcement: blacklist of unlicensed operators with mandatory bank/EMI payment-blocking
  • Player protection: minimum age 21 (from 1 July 2025); biometric verification; self-exclusion register; near-total advertising ban phasing in from July 2025

Costs and timelines at a glance

  • Crypto: MiCAR via the Law on Cryptoasset Markets, Bank of Lithuania for CASPs/ARTs/EMTs; own-funds floors EUR 50,000 / 125,000 / 150,000 by class; 40-working-day decision after completeness; transition closed 1 January 2026
  • Payments primary instruments: Law on Payments / Payment Institutions / Electronic Money Institutions (PSD2 / EMD2); Instant Payments Regulation (EU) 2024/886; DORA
  • Payments regulator: Bank of Lithuania (CENTROlink SEPA access); 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: LPT remote-gaming licences; GGR-based tax (online casino/slots toward 22%); age 21; near-total ad ban; blacklist payment-blocking
  • Tax: corporate income tax 16% (17% from 2026); individual crypto gains taxed at 15% above a EUR 2,500 exemption (progressive 20/25/32% from 2026)
  • Currency: euro (euro-area and banking-union member); no exchange controls
  • FX: USD 1 = EUR 0.87 (EUR 1 = USD 1.15)

Who Lithuania suits and who it does not

Suitable for

  • Crypto exchanges, custodians and token issuers wanting a digital-first MiCAR CASP authorisation with EEA passporting and deep fintech infrastructure
  • Stablecoin (EMT) issuers who value Lithuania's large EMI base and CENTROlink euro rails
  • Payment, remittance, acquiring, wallet, BaaS and open-banking operators wanting the EU's largest e-money hub with direct SEPA access
  • Already-licensed banks, investment firms, payment and e-money institutions that can add crypto-asset services through the Article 60 notification route
  • Fintech groups wanting an English-language regulator with a published timeline and a specialised-bank option

Not suitable for

  • Firms relying on a former VASP registration — the transition closed on 1 January 2026, and the bar is now much higher
  • Operators wanting a low personal crypto-tax environment long term — personal income tax becomes progressive (up to 32%) from 2026
  • Gambling operators unwilling to meet white-listing, the 21 age limit, biometric verification and the advertising ban
  • Operators seeking to serve Lithuanian players from an offshore licence — they will be blacklisted and payment-blocked
  • Payment or e-money firms expecting to avoid EU prudential, safeguarding, DORA or AML obligations

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