What MiCA changed
For years, "regulated" meant very little in European crypto — national regimes varied, registrations were inconsistent, and a logo on a website told you nothing. That has genuinely changed, and the date matters.
The Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation is now fully applicable. The national transitional arrangements that allowed existing providers to continue without full authorisation ended on 1 July 2026. From that point, providing crypto-asset services to EU clients requires authorisation as a crypto-asset service provider.
ESMA maintains a public register of authorised CASPs, which listed 325 entries in mid-August 2026. Authorisation in one member state carries passporting rights across the Union — which is why a Lithuanian authorisation lets a firm serve customers in Germany, France or Spain without twenty-seven separate applications.
How to verify a platform
This is now a genuinely useful thirty-second habit, in a way it was not before July 2026.
The check, step by step
- Find the legal entity name. Footer, terms of service, or the imprint page. A platform that will not name the company it is is telling you something.
- Note the jurisdiction. Which member state, or which non-EU country.
- Search ESMA’s CASP register for that entity. Authorised firms appear; unauthorised ones do not.
- Cross-check the national regulator if you want more detail — the AMF in France, BaFin in Germany, CySEC in Cyprus.
- Treat a logo as decoration. A regulator badge on a page is worth nothing without a register entry behind it.
- Remember what activity is regulated. Selling a closed-loop gift card is not the same as exchanging or custodying crypto-assets, so not every platform in this market needs a CASP authorisation.
Platforms serving Europe
| Platform | Brands | Countries | Coins accepted | What you pay over face value | ID required? | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CoinGate4.0/5 | Thousands | 90+, strongest in Europe | 70+ | Small markup on most brands | Account required; EU AML thresholds apply | Visit Review |
| Bitrefill4.3/5 | 8,000+ | 170+ | BTC (on-chain + Lightning), ETH, USDT, USDC, LTC, DOGE and more | Face value on most cards; up to ~2% on Amazon and prepaid cards | None for most orders | Visit Review |
| Coinsbee4.2/5 | 5,000+ | 185+ | 200+ including SOL, TON, XMR, DOGE, plus Binance Pay | Typically 0–4% depending on brand and region | Not required to start; requested on larger or flagged orders | Visit Review |
| Bitnovo3.9/5 | n/a (crypto vouchers + card products) | Spain and much of Europe | BTC, ETH, LTC, USDT and others at redemption | Retail markup varies by shop; typically 4–7% all-in | Account registration required, EU AML rules apply | Visit Review |
| CryptoRefills3.9/5 | Thousands | 180+ | BTC, LTC, ETH, USDT, DOGE and more | Varies by product; disclosed before checkout | Not required for standard orders | Visit Review |
- CoinGate — the clearest regulated option. A Lithuanian company operating since 2014 under MiCA authorisation, doubling as a merchant payment processor. Account and AML checks required, and that is the trade for having a supervisor.
- Bitrefill — Swedish, deepest catalogue, Lightning support, sats-back, no account for standard orders. Carries the March 2026 breach on its record.
- Coinsbee — German, 200+ coins accepted, 185+ countries, no account to start. The default choice for an altcoin holder anywhere in Europe.
- Bitnovo — Spanish, PSAN registered with the French AMF under reference E2023-102, and the reason Europe has a cash advantage. Vouchers rather than brand cards.
- CryptoRefills — best per-country restriction documentation, which matters more in Europe than in the US because brand availability varies so much between member states.
Europe's cash advantage
One thing Europe does better than any other market covered on this site, and it is worth emphasising because it has no equivalent elsewhere.
Bitnovo vouchers are stocked at more than 40,000 physical points of sale — Carrefour, Fnac, El Corte Inglés, Día, plus tobacconists and petrol stations. You walk into a shop with cash, buy a voucher, and redeem the code into a wallet you control. No bank, no card, no transfer.
Two groups benefit in ways no online platform serves: people who are unbanked or prefer not to route purchases through a card, and gift-givers who want something physical to hand over. The code arrives on a till receipt that folds into a birthday card, which no email can match.
Country notes
| Market | Notes |
|---|---|
| Germany | Deep brand coverage. Coinsbee is German-registered. BaFin is the national supervisor. |
| Spain | Best retail voucher network in Europe via Bitnovo. Frequently excluded from exchange promotions. |
| France | The AMF maintains a PSAN register; strong brand coverage and a well-documented supervisory regime. |
| Netherlands | Good coverage; Coinbase e-gift cards available here alongside the main platforms. |
| Italy | Reasonable brand depth; Coinbase e-gift cards available. |
| Belgium | Frequently excluded from exchange promotions for regulatory reasons. |
| Lithuania | A common authorisation base — CoinGate and several exchanges are registered here. |
| Central and Eastern Europe | Coverage varies sharply. CryptoRefills and Coinsbee are the strongest options. |
Related: United Kingdom, United States, the CoinGate review, and the full platform ranking.
Crypto gift cards in Europe: FAQ
What changed for European buyers in 2026?
MiCA became fully applicable and the national transitional periods, which let existing providers keep operating without authorisation, closed on 1 July 2026. From that date, serving EU clients requires authorisation as a crypto-asset service provider. ESMA maintains a public register, which listed 325 authorised CASPs in mid-August 2026.
Does MiCA mean my money is protected?
No — there is no deposit guarantee for crypto balances under MiCA. What authorisation brings is client-asset safeguarding obligations, governance and IT-security requirements, mandatory disclosures, a complaints process and a national supervisor. That is recourse rather than insurance.
Which platforms are MiCA-authorised?
Can I still use Bitrefill and Coinsbee in Europe?
Both operate from European countries — Bitrefill from Sweden, Coinsbee from Germany — and both serve European buyers. Note that selling closed-loop gift cards is not the same regulated activity as exchanging or custodying crypto-assets, which is why gift-card platforms and exchanges sit under different requirements.
Why is the UK excluded from so many promotions?
The UK left the EU framework and has its own financial-promotion rules, which changed what firms may advertise to UK consumers. Rather than comply separately, many operators simply exclude the UK from promotions. See the UK guide.
Can I buy crypto with cash in Europe?
Yes, and this is genuinely Europe's advantage. Bitnovo vouchers are sold at more than 40,000 retail points including Carrefour, Fnac, El Corte Inglés and Día. No bank, no card — a shop and a banknote.
Sources and further reading
Figures on this page were checked in August 2026. Fees, country lists and promotions change without notice — always confirm on the operator's own site before you pay.
- ESMA — Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation — MiCA framework and the CASP register
- ESMA — first rules on crypto-asset service providers — authorisation requirements
- AMF — end of the transitional period on 1 July 2026 — the transitional deadline
- Bitnovo — coupons complete guide — the 40,000-point retail network