Webull EU has received authorization under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation in the Netherlands, giving the brokerage a route to launch regulated crypto services for European clients later this year. The company said it plans to start in the Dutch market and then widen access across the European Union once passporting approval is in place.
Approval in the Netherlands
The approval was granted by the Netherlands’ Autoriteit Financiële Markten, or AFM. Webull EU said the license allows it to begin offering crypto-asset services under MiCAR, the European Union’s digital asset framework.
The company described the decision as a significant step in its European expansion plans. Andries van Luijk, chief executive of Webull Securities (Europe), said the authorization marked an important milestone for the group’s ambitions in the region and would support regulated access to digital assets under the new EU regime.
Webull said the initial launch is planned for the Netherlands. Expansion to other EU member states would rely on MiCAR’s passporting system, which lets firms use one authorization across the bloc, but that wider approval is still pending.
How the service will work
According to the company, client crypto assets will be held in custody by Webull EU itself. Trade execution, however, will be carried out through Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. That structure would make Webull one of the first dual-regulated investment firms in the Netherlands to obtain MiCAR authorization.
Once the service goes live in late 2026, European users are expected to be able to place crypto orders through the Webull platform alongside other asset classes. Webull said the new approval also enables it to offer custody services that meet the investor protection and operational requirements set out in the EU framework.
A broader European licensing push
Webull’s approval comes as more crypto firms seek operating rights under MiCAR across Europe. Recent licensing activity has been concentrated in Luxembourg, which has emerged as a notable base for companies building regulated crypto businesses in the region.
Earlier in July, Ripple said it had obtained a full Crypto Asset Service Provider license from Luxembourg’s Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier. The company said that approval allowed it to offer regulated crypto payment services across the European Economic Area and completed its MiCA requirements for expanding its payments business to all 30 EEA countries.
Bridge also obtained both a MiCA CASP authorization and an Electronic Money Institution license in Luxembourg. According to the company, those approvals allow it to provide euro-backed stablecoin infrastructure, virtual IBANs and cross-border euro payment services throughout the EU.
Market adjustments under MiCAR
The shift to the new EU rulebook has also led to operational changes at major exchanges and service providers. Coinbase, Kraken and Crypto.com removed USDT trading for European users after Tether chose not to seek MiCA authorization, according to the report. Binance has also introduced service changes aimed at complying with the framework.
MiCAR is becoming a defining regulatory filter for crypto firms serving Europe, shaping not only who can launch new services but also how existing platforms structure trading, custody and payments under a single regional regime.
Source: crypto.news