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Is crypto legal in Lithuania? Rules & regulation (2026)

Crypto is regulated in Lithuania.

Crypto is legal in Lithuania and is regulated under the EU MiCA framework, which is fully applicable from 30 December 2024 with the national Law on Markets in Crypto-Assets transposing competent-authority and supervisory arrangements. Lithuania did not use the optional MiCA grandfathering grace period in full: it set a hard cutoff of 1 January 2026, after which all crypto-asset service providers operating in or from Lithuania must hold a Bank of Lithuania CASP authorisation. The Bank of Lithuania supervises CASPs, EMT and ART issuers, while FNTT handles AML/CFT and tax follows ordinary PIT/CIT rules (15% standard rate).

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Legal framework

EU Regulation 2023/1114 (MiCA) directly applicable; nationally implemented by the Law on Markets in Crypto-Assets of the Republic of Lithuania (adopted 11 July 2024). Competent authority: Bank of Lithuania (Lietuvos bankas). AML/CFT supervision by the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FNTT/FCIS) under the Law on the Prevention of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. Tax treatment under the Law on Personal Income Tax and Law on Corporate Income Tax administered by the State Tax Inspectorate (VMI).

Status by sub-area

  • Stablecoins

    In force

    MiCA stablecoin rules (EMTs and ARTs) have applied since 30 June 2024 with the Bank of Lithuania as competent authority. EMTs may only be issued by authorised credit or e-money institutions; ART issuers require Bank of Lithuania authorisation and must meet reserve, governance and disclosure obligations.

  • Exchanges / VASP

    In force

    Exchanges and other VASPs must hold a Bank of Lithuania CASP authorisation since 1 January 2026. Lithuania declined the full MiCA grandfathering window; legacy VASP registrations no longer suffice and unauthorised operation is illegal.

  • Token Offerings

    In force

    Offers of crypto-assets other than EMTs/ARTs require a MiCA-compliant crypto-asset white paper notified to the Bank of Lithuania; tokens with characteristics of financial instruments fall under the Lithuanian Law on Securities and EU Prospectus Regulation.

  • Custody

    In force

    Crypto custody is a regulated CASP service under MiCA Title V. Client crypto must be segregated from CASP assets, recorded in per-client registers and reconciled, with a €125,000 minimum capital and detailed client agreements.

  • DeFi

    Partial

    Lithuania follows the EU MiCA position: fully decentralised protocols without an identifiable intermediary fall outside MiCA, but any centralised front-end, operator or token issuance is in scope. There is no Lithuania-specific DeFi law yet; ESMA-level guidance is awaited.

    Still pending: No Lithuania-specific DeFi law; awaiting ESMA-level guidance on MiCA implementation

  • Tax

    In force

    No dedicated crypto tax — cryptocurrency is taxed under existing personal and corporate income tax rules administered by the State Tax Inspectorate (VMI). Individuals' occasional gains use a €2,500 personal-asset disposal allowance, then 15% PIT (20% above 120× average wage); corporates pay the 15% CIT; crypto-fiat conversion is VAT-exempt.

How to get a crypto license in Lithuania

To provide crypto-asset services in Lithuania you need a MiCA CASP authorisation (Crypto-Asset Service Provider), supervised by the Bank of Lithuania, under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), Title V.

Authority
the Bank of Lithuania
License required
a MiCA CASP authorisation (Crypto-Asset Service Provider)
Framework / law
the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), Title V
Minimum capital
€50,000–€150,000 minimum, by service class (Class 1/2/3)
Timeline
about 40 working days of substantive review; 1–3 months for a well-prepared application
Cost
an application fee of roughly €5,000–€25,000, plus ongoing supervisory fees
Passporting
Yes: a single MiCA CASP licence passports across all 27 EU member states.

What a crypto license in Lithuania covers

  • Custody and administration of crypto-assets for clients
  • Operating a trading platform for crypto-assets
  • Exchanging crypto-assets for funds, or for other crypto-assets
  • Executing orders for crypto-assets on behalf of clients
  • Reception and transmission of orders, and placing of crypto-assets
  • Advice and portfolio management on crypto-assets
  • Transfer services for crypto-assets on behalf of clients

Step by step: getting a crypto license in Lithuania

  1. Incorporate a legal entity with a registered office in the member state, with at least one director resident in the EU.

  2. Build the application file: programme of operations, business plan, governance, AML/CFT, ICT resilience and client-asset segregation.

  3. Submit the application to the national competent authority.

  4. Completeness check: the authority has 25 working days to confirm the file is complete and request anything missing.

  5. Substantive assessment: the authority has 40 working days to grant or refuse the authorisation.

  6. Once authorised, notify the passport to the host member states you intend to serve, then begin operating across the EU.

Documents required in Lithuania

  • Programme of operations describing each crypto-asset service you will provide
  • Business plan with three-year financial projections
  • Evidence of prudential safeguards (own funds or qualifying insurance)
  • Governance arrangements, organisational chart and internal-control description
  • AML/CFT policies and the appointment of a compliance officer
  • ICT security, business-continuity and DORA-aligned resilience policies
  • Custody and client-asset segregation arrangements
  • Complaints-handling procedure and conflict-of-interest policy
  • Fit-and-proper evidence for directors and qualifying shareholders (CVs, criminal-record certificates)

Ongoing obligations in Lithuania

  • Maintain prudential safeguards and own funds at or above the class minimum
  • Keep client crypto-assets segregated from the firm's own assets
  • Run continuous AML/CFT monitoring, screening and suspicious-activity reporting
  • Keep marketing communications fair, clear and not misleading
  • Operate complaints handling and manage conflicts of interest
  • Meet ICT resilience and incident-reporting duties under DORA
  • File periodic reports to the national competent authority

Key points: crypto & digital assets in Lithuania

  1. National MiCA law in force

    Lithuania enacted its Law on Markets in Crypto-Assets on 11 July 2024, designating the Bank of Lithuania as the MiCA national competent authority (NCA) for CASPs, EMT and ART issuers from 30 December 2024.

    lb.lt lb.lt

  2. Shortened transitional period

    Lithuania set a 31 December 2025 deadline for legacy VASPs to obtain MiCA CASP authorisation; from 1 January 2026 operating without a CASP licence is unlawful and subject to enforcement by both the Bank of Lithuania and FNTT, including fines, website blocking and criminal sanctions of up to 4 years' imprisonment.

    lb.lt lb.lt

  3. Tightened sectoral capacity

    Of roughly 324 previously registered crypto firms only a handful, reportedly three CASP licences as of January 2026, had been authorised under MiCA, reflecting a substantial market contraction.

    fintechbaltic.com coinpedia.org

  4. Bank of Lithuania position on crypto-assets

    The Board of the Bank of Lithuania has formally updated its Position on Crypto-Assets, classifying tokens (payment, utility, investment or hybrid) and clarifying when securities/prospectus rules apply, complementing MiCA's crypto-asset white paper regime.

    lb.lt

  5. Staff qualification rules

    Resolution No 2025/03-162 of the Board of the Bank of Lithuania (16 December 2025) sets specific knowledge, experience and qualification requirements for staff of CASPs, supplementing MiCA Level-2 standards.

    lb.lt

  6. Tax: ordinary PIT/CIT regime

    There is no special crypto tax. Occasional individual gains are treated as income from disposal of personal property with a €2,500 non-taxable threshold; above that, a 15% (rising to 20% above 120× average wage) PIT applies. Corporate profits are taxed at the 15% CIT rate; crypto-fiat exchange is VAT-exempt under EU Hedqvist case law.

    globallegalinsights.com motieka.com

Crypto license in Lithuania: FAQ

Do you need a license to run a crypto business in Lithuania?

Yes. To provide crypto-asset services in Lithuania you need a MiCA CASP authorisation (Crypto-Asset Service Provider), supervised by the Bank of Lithuania, under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA), Title V.

Which authority issues crypto licenses in Lithuania?

The Bank of Lithuania.

How much does a crypto license cost in Lithuania?

An application fee of roughly €5,000–€25,000, plus ongoing supervisory fees.

How long does it take to get a crypto license in Lithuania?

Typically about 40 working days of substantive review; 1–3 months for a well-prepared application.

What documents do you need for a crypto license in Lithuania?

The application file centres on programme of operations describing each crypto-asset service you will provide; business plan with three-year financial projections; evidence of prudential safeguards (own funds or qualifying insurance); governance arrangements, organisational chart and internal-control description; plus fit-and-proper evidence for directors and qualifying shareholders.

What is the application process for a crypto license in Lithuania?

Incorporate a legal entity with a registered office in the member state, with at least one director resident in the EU. Build the application file: programme of operations, business plan, governance, AML/CFT, ICT resilience and client-asset segregation. The authority then assesses the file and, once authorised, you can begin operating.

Does a Lithuania crypto license work in other EU/EEA countries?

Yes: a single MiCA CASP licence passports across all 27 EU member states.

Sources

  1. lb.lt/en/markets-in-crypto-assets
  2. lb.lt/en/authorisation-of-crypto-asset-service-providers
  3. lb.lt/en/news/resolutions-of-the-board-of-the-bank-of-lithuania-position-on
  4. lb.lt/en/news/lithuanian-authorities-requirements-for-crypto-asset-companie
  5. globallegalinsights.com/practice-areas/blockchain-cryptocurrency-laws-and-regulations/lithuan
  6. fintechbaltic.com/11166/fintechlithuania/lithuanias-crypto-sector-shrinks-following-mic
  7. coinpedia.org/news/lithuania-declares-war-on-unlicensed-crypto-firms-as-mica-enforc
  8. motieka.com/news/crypto-taxes-in-lithuania-when-are-crypto-profits-taxable/

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