Bybit Payments GmbH has been granted an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence by Austria's Financial Market Authority (FMA). The licence allows the firm to offer regulated e-money and payment services through the Bybit.eu platform, adding a payments layer to the crypto services already authorised under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR).
Two licences, one platform
Bybit now holds two Austrian regulatory authorisations that work in tandem. Bybit EU GmbH has been authorised under MiCAR since May 2025 to provide specific crypto-asset services — custody, exchange of crypto for funds, exchange of crypto for other crypto, placing of crypto-assets, and transfer services. That entity does not operate a trading platform or give investment advice. The new EMI licence, held by Bybit Payments GmbH, covers e-money issuance and payment services. Both entities are run by managing director Georg Harer and will be integrated through the Bybit.eu platform to offer a combined experience for European customers.
What the EMI licence enables
The licence unlocks a range of future payment capabilities: peer-to-peer payments, e-money services, Strong Customer Authentication, open-banking features, merchant payments, and card initiatives. Bybit Payments GmbH can now develop strategic relationships with financial institutions and reduce its reliance on third-party payment infrastructure. The company says concrete product launch dates and details of a Europe-wide rollout will be communicated in the near future.
Strategic value for Bybit's European push
Having both a MiCAR authorisation and an EMI licence under one roof gives Bybit a more self-sufficient setup in Europe. Instead of depending entirely on external payment processors for fiat on-ramps and off-ramps, the firm can build its own regulated payment rails. That could mean faster settlement, lower costs, and a smoother user experience — though the actual products are still in the pipeline. The timing also matters: Europe's crypto regulatory framework is solidifying, and exchanges that hold both a crypto-asset licence and an e-money licence are better positioned to offer the kind of integrated services that traditional finance users expect.
Next steps
Bybit has not yet announced when the first EMI-powered features will go live. The company says it will share rollout plans for the European market in the coming months. For now, the licence is a regulatory milestone — the real test will be execution.
