Gate Europe, a Malta-registered Crypto-Asset Service Provider, has secured both the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) license and a Payment Institution (PI) license at an early stage, the company announced this week. The dual approvals, granted by the Malta Financial Services Authority, position the exchange to offer crypto trading and related payment services across Europe under a unified regulatory framework.
Two licenses, one push
Gate Europe operates as a CASP under the MFSA's supervision. The MiCA license allows it to provide digital asset services throughout the European Economic Area under a passporting regime. The separate PI license covers fiat-based payment services, giving the firm a broader product scope than many European competitors that hold only a CASP registration.
CEO Dr. Giovanni Cunti said the company's early compliance push was deliberate. “We focused on building the infrastructure to meet both sets of requirements from the start,” he noted in a statement. “That meant investing in risk management, governance, and direct dialogue with regulators before we even applied.”
Compliance as a priority
Gate Europe is strengthening its internal compliance systems and governance framework as part of the licensing process. The firm maintains ongoing conversations with regulators and industry stakeholders across Europe to stay ahead of evolving rules. “It's not a one-time checkbox,” Cunti said. “We treat regulatory alignment as a continuous operational function.”
The timing matters. The full MiCA framework is expected to come into force by 2027, but early adopters like Gate Europe are already building compliant products. The PI license adds another layer of scrutiny, requiring the company to meet capital requirements and anti-money laundering standards that go beyond basic crypto licensing.
What the licenses change
For users, the main difference is that Gate Europe can now offer a wider range of services without needing separate approvals in each country. The firm's European customers can access crypto trading alongside payment services under one regulatory umbrella. That's a selling point for institutional clients who want to avoid jurisdictional fragmentation.
The company is also expanding its team in Malta and beefing up its risk systems. Cunti acknowledged that compliance costs are significant but called them “a necessary investment for long-term trust.”
Next steps
Gate Europe will continue its dialogue with European regulators as the MiCA regime takes shape. The company plans to roll out additional services later this year, though specific timelines weren't disclosed. One open question is how the MFSA will handle cross-border enforcement once the full MiCA rulebook is applied — but for now, Gate Europe has the licenses it needs to play.
