We deliver strategic, commercially grounded legal advice across licensing, compliance, and structuring for crypto, fintech, and digital finance, helping clients stay compliant, competitive, and investor-ready in a fast-changing environment.
- Strategic licensing and compliance for CASPs, EMIs, and PIs
- Ongoing regulatory and risk advisory services
- Corporate structuring and transactional support for digital finance businesses
Regulatory Advisory & Licensing Overview
In today’s dynamic and highly regulated digital economy, compliance is not optional, it is foundational. We advise on licensing and regulatory compliance across financial and digital services sectors, with a focused strength in supporting Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs), Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs), and Payment Institutions (PIs).
- Full licensing lifecycle support for CASPs, EMIs, and PIs
- Deep understanding of MiCA, PSD2/3, AMLA, DORA, and FATF
- Ongoing compliance monitoring, audit prep, and governance support
- Strategic corporate structuring, investor alignment, and exit planning
- Strong regulator relationships with CySEC and the Central Bank of Cyprus
In Brief
Our approach is strategic, proactive, and embedded in the commercial realities our clients face. We combine technical legal insight with regulatory fluency and industry experience, helping our clients stay compliant, competitive, and investor-ready.
Cyprus as a Fintech & Crypto Licensing Hub: Cyprus has emerged as a main European jurisdiction for crypto and fintech headquartering, offering a well-developed legal framework, strong supervisory practices under the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) and the Central Bank of Cyprus, and a European passport into the EU single market.
- Strategic
- Proactive
- Compliant
- Investor-ready
Practice Pillars
Our team offers strategic guidance on licensing, governance, regulatory capital, compliance frameworks, and ongoing obligations.
1. CASP Licensing & Crypto Compliance
We advise crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) through the full licensing lifecycle in Cyprus, from structuring and application through to operational readiness and post-licensing compliance. Our services include the following:
- CASP structuring & pre-licensing consultation: assessing eligibility, ownership models, and services offered under the MiCA-aligned framework.
- Application drafting & submission: preparing full application packs, business plans, compliance policies, risk assessments, AML frameworks, and governance documentation.
- Regulatory engagement: representing clients before CySEC, facilitating responses to regulator queries, and negotiating conditions of authorisation.
- Post-licensing support: implementation of internal compliance programs, client onboarding policies, AML/KYC procedures, training programs, and audit responses.
- Cross-border advice: assisting CASPs operating across jurisdictions, including compliance with MiCA, AMLD6, and FATF standards.
We support a wide range of business models, including crypto exchanges, custodians, token issuers, OTC desks, DeFi operators, and blockchain infrastructure providers.
2. EMI & PI Licensing
Our team provides comprehensive support for the establishment and regulatory licensing of Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs) and Payment Institutions (PIs) under the EU Payment Services Directives (PSD2, while preparing for PSD3) and the Electronic Money Directive (EMD2). Our services cover the full journey of such institutions, and include the following:
- Structuring business models to align with PSD2/EMD2 and Cypriot law.
- Preparing and submitting licensing applications to the Central Bank of Cyprus, including governance plans, IT infrastructure assessments, outsourcing arrangements, and safeguarding strategies.
- Developing key internal documentation: AML/CTF manuals, operational risk and internal audit policies, compliance monitoring plans, business continuity policies, and complaint handling procedures.
- Advising on passporting of services to other EEA states.
- Supporting fintechs with agent and branch registrations.
- Post-licensing support: guidance on reporting, safeguarding of client funds, resolution planning, outsourcing oversight, and audit preparation.
We help PIs and EMIs stay ahead of changing regulatory expectations and market conditions while building compliant and scalable businesses.
3. Ongoing Regulatory Compliance & Risk Advisory
Our firm acts as an ongoing legal and compliance partner to regulated firms. We ensure clients remain aligned with evolving EU, ESMA, EBA, FATF, and local regulatory standards. We provide:
- Day-to-day regulatory guidance.
- Advice on regulatory changes e.g. MiCA, DORA, AMLA, AMLR, PSD3 proposals.
- Drafting and revision of policies AML, IT security, business continuity, whistleblowing.
- Internal audit, compliance monitoring, and risk management support.
- Training for compliance officers and executive teams.
- Governance advice and board support.
4. Corporate Structuring & Transactional Support
Beyond licensing, we assist clients with entity incorporation and structuring, capitalisation and shareholder arrangements. We advise on our clients’ strategic partnerships and service agreements and where necessary, restructuring to meet regulatory or investor requirements, as well as exit planning and sale of regulated businesses.
We help clients build compliance as a strategic advantage, not just to obtain a licence, but to sustain innovation and investor confidence for the long run.
We work with crypto-asset exchanges and token platforms, payment and e-money providers, wealthtech and digital custody platforms, and investors and family offices participating in the funding or ownership of such entities.
Our regulatory work is deeply informed by the commercial and transactional realities our clients face. We bring a cross-disciplinary understanding that allows us to spot issues early, prevent delays, and protect long-term viability, while we maintain professional relationships with the Central Bank of Cyprus and CySEC and act with credibility and clarity when engaging with regulators.
Have a question or need legal guidance? Our team is here to help.