Which Crypto Exchanges Are Leaving the EU on July 1, 2026? MiCA, Explained
On July 1, 2026 MiCA’s transition period ends and every crypto exchange serving the EEA needs a member-state licence. Here is the up-to-date roundup of who is staying (Coinbase, Kraken, OKX, Bybit EU, Crypto.com and more) versus who is leaving or restricted (Binance, KuCoin, MEXC, HTX) — plus what it means for your funds and your stablecoins.
Key takeaways
- On July 1, 2026 MiCA forces unlicensed exchanges out of the EU. Binance, KuCoin, MEXC and HTX are leaving or restricted, while Coinbase, Kraken, OKX, Bybit EU and Crypto.com hold MiCA licences and stay.
- MiCA’s transition period ends July 1, 2026: any firm serving the European Economic Area must hold a MiCA (CASP) licence from a member state by then, or stop serving EEA users.
- Industry estimates that around 80% of currently operating exchanges will fail to secure a MiCA licence and exit the EU; the ESMA CASP registry currently lists 200+ authorised providers.
- Non-compliant stablecoins are being delisted across EU venues — Tether (USDT) lacks MiCA EMT authorisation, while USDC and EURC remain available.
- The one model a licensing deadline cannot reach is self-custody: on a non-custodial app like Dexly — a front-end to the Hyperliquid exchange — you trade from your own wallet, so there is no account to migrate and no company that can be licensed out of your region.
What Is the July 1, 2026 Deadline?
The EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) gave exchanges a transition period to get authorised. That window closes on July 1, 2026. From that date, every crypto firm serving residents of the European Economic Area (EEA) must hold a MiCA Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) licence from an EU member state — or stop serving EEA users.
The scale of the shake-out is large. OKX’s Europe chief has estimated that roughly 80% of currently operating exchanges will fail to secure a licence and exit the bloc (The Block — OKX Europe chief: 80% of exchanges won’t survive MiCA). For context, the ESMA CASP registry currently lists 200+ authorised providers across the EU (ESMA — Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) & register of authorised CASPs). The result is a clean split: a licensed group that stays, and a much larger group that leaves or is restricted.
The one rule that matters
Who Is Staying: The MiCA-Licensed Exchanges
These exchanges secured MiCA (CASP) authorisation from an EU member state, which can be passported across the EEA. They continue to serve EU users after July 1 — with full KYC and a venue-curated asset set (Paybis — MiCA-licensed crypto exchanges (2026)):
- Coinbase — licensed via Luxembourg.
- Kraken — licensed via Ireland.
- OKX — licensed via Malta (see our OKX-in-Europe explainer).
- Crypto.com — licensed via Malta.
- Gemini — licensed via Malta.
- Gate.io EU — licensed via Malta.
- Bybit EU — licensed via Austria (a separate EU entity; see the Bybit EU migration).
- Bitstamp — MiCA-licensed and staying.
- Bitpanda — MiCA-licensed and staying.
“Staying” still means a narrower product
Who Is Leaving or Restricted
These exchanges either failed to secure a MiCA licence, withdrew their application, or were barred by a regulator — so EEA users lose access or are restricted:
Leaving / Restricted
- Binance — withdrew its Greek application; exiting EEA service on July 1.
- KuCoin EU — barred by Austria’s FMA (Feb 2026) from onboarding new EU users.
- MEXC — not listed in the ESMA CASP register.
- HTX — not listed in the ESMA CASP register.
Staying (Licensed)
Coinbase, Kraken, OKX, Crypto.com, Gemini, Gate.io EU, Bybit EU, Bitstamp and Bitpanda all hold MiCA (CASP) licences and continue to serve EEA users — with KYC and a curated asset set.
- Binance withdrew its MiCA application in Greece and is exiting the EU on July 1 — read Is Binance Banned in Europe?
- KuCoin EU was barred by Austria’s FMA in February 2026 from onboarding new EU users (CoinDesk — Austria’s FMA bans KuCoin EU (Feb 2026)) — read Is KuCoin Banned in Europe?
- MEXC is operating without a MiCA licence — read Is MEXC Banned in Europe?
- Bybit sits in between — its global platform stops serving EEA users, but a licensed Bybit EU entity stays open. See Is Bybit Banned in Europe?
HTX and the long tail
The Stablecoin Angle: USDT Delistings
MiCA does not just decide which exchanges stay — it decides which assets they can list. Stablecoins must be authorised as e-money tokens (EMTs) under MiCA to be offered to EEA users. Tether (USDT) lacks that authorisation, so EU-regulated venues are delisting it for European traders.
MiCA-compliant stablecoins — notably USDC and EURC — remain available. So even on an exchange that is “staying,” the pair you have been trading may disappear. For the full picture, read Is USDT Banned in Europe?
Two ways MiCA touches you
What EU Users Should Do Now
If you are an EEA resident with funds on an exchange, there are three sensible steps:
- Check your exchange’s status. Confirm whether it holds a MiCA licence (and under which member state) or has announced an EU exit. The ESMA CASP registry is the source of truth.
- Withdraw what you are not trading. Custody risk peaks exactly when access is changing. Move idle balances to a wallet you control while withdrawals are open.
- Watch your stablecoins. If you hold USDT on an EU venue, plan to convert to a compliant asset (USDC/EURC) or move on-chain before delisting.
Don’t wait for the deadline
The Non-Custodial Option
Every option above shares one trait: your access depends on someone else’s licence. The one model a MiCA deadline cannot reshape is self-custody. When you trade from your own wallet, there is no account to migrate, no KYC to re-do, and no company that can be licensed out of your region.
Where Dexly fits
This is exactly the gap Dexly fills. Dexly is a non-custodial front-end to the Hyperliquid exchange: you connect your own wallet and trade hundreds of perpetual markets with no sign-up form. Because Dexly never holds your funds and there is no account to register, a MiCA migration has nothing to act on — Dexly has no licence to lose because it is not the custodian. When an exchange walls off EEA users on July 1, a trader on Dexly simply keeps trading. Fund it with on-chain USDC, on web or the mobile app.
To understand why self-custody removes the lockout risk entirely, read What Is Non-Custodial Trading and our intro to Hyperliquid.
Educational content only — not investment or legal advice. Regulatory status changes quickly; confirm the current licence status and availability in your jurisdiction. Facts verified 2026-06-30.
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Risk Warning: Trading perpetual futures involves significant risk of loss. Only trade with capital you can afford to lose. Dexly is a non-custodial interface; you are responsible for your own funds and trading decisions.
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