Lithuania: crypto & digital assets regulation

Regulated

Lithuania: VASP licensing under MiCA; Bank of Lithuania oversight

Lead regulator:: Bank of Lithuania
Key law:: MiCA (EU Regulation 2023/1114)
Last updated:: 2026-07-12

Lithuania regulates virtual asset service providers (VASPs) primarily through the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) Regulation, which entered into force in 2024. The Bank of Lithuania serves as the primary national competent authority for supervising VASPs and enforcing anti-money laundering standards within the crypto sector.

Historically, the Bank of Lithuania issued strict opinions in 2019 prohibiting supervised financial entities from mixing virtual asset services with regulated financial activities. This early stance established a foundation for strict separation and compliance, which has evolved into the current comprehensive licensing regime under MiCA.

Entities providing crypto-asset services must obtain authorization from the Bank of Lithuania to operate legally. The regulatory framework emphasizes consumer protection, market integrity, and robust anti-money laundering controls, aligning Lithuania with broader EU financial standards.

Who regulates

Bank of Lithuania
Primary supervisor for VASPs and financial market oversight
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Core laws & rules

Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) (2023)
EU Regulation establishing a harmonized framework for crypto-assets, requiring VASP licensing and supervision by national competent authorities.
Opinion on Virtual Assets and ICOs (2019)
Bank of Lithuania opinion clarifying prohibitions on supervised entities providing virtual asset services and mandating strict separation from regulated financial services.
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Licensing & registration

VASP Authorization
Authorization required for entities providing crypto-asset services under MiCA, supervised by the Bank of Lithuania.

Restrictions & warnings

Supervised financial market participants are generally prohibited from providing virtual asset services or accepting payments in virtual assets, requiring strict separation from regulated financial services.
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Direction of travel

Regulatory direction continues to align with EU-wide MiCA implementation, focusing on comprehensive supervision and consumer protection.

Sources

Opinion of the Bank of Lithuania on questions related to virtual assets and initial coin offering · 2019-01-21

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This guide is compiled automatically from 1 primary-source documents published by Lithuania's regulators, reviewed by RegAlert, and refreshed monthly (last updated 2026-07-12). It is not legal advice — always confirm requirements with the regulator or local counsel before acting.