OSL Group secures MiCAR license in Austria, joining 17% of EU-approved firms

OSL Group's European unit secured authorization under the EU's MiCA framework, placing the Hong Kong-listed firm among fewer than one in five previously registered companies that cleared the bloc's new licensing regime.

Clearing MiCAR is not a marketing line but evidence that a firm's governance and compliance hold up under regulatory scrutiny, Chagri Poyraz, chief strategy officer at OSL Group, said.

Of more than 1,200 crypto firms that held national registrations across the EU, only about 210 — roughly 17% — converted to full crypto-asset service provider authorization by the July 1 deadline. The rest have exited or lost the legal right to serve EU clients. OSL EU can now passport its services across all 30 countries of the European Economic Area.

The authorization extends OSL's regulated footprint to a second major jurisdiction alongside Hong Kong, where its subsidiary was among the first virtual-asset platforms licensed by the Securities and Futures Commission. The group holds or is pursuing more than 50 trading and payment licenses worldwide, giving it an edge in capturing institutional flows as the industry consolidates around compliant platforms.

OSL Group (HKEX: 863) operates under regulated frameworks across Asia, Australia, the United States, Canada and, now, Europe. The FMA authorization complements a separate MiCAR license already held in the Netherlands by another OSL subsidiary, providing operational redundancy across the region. Shares of OSL Group traded 1.5% lower on Thursday, with short selling accounting for 32% of turnover.

Kevin Cui, chief executive officer of OSL Group, said the dual standing under Hong Kong's SFC regime and Europe's MiCA framework differentiates the platform for institutions choosing a long-term partner. Marie Winter, managing director of OSL EU, said the authorization confirms the firm's governance framework meets the standard EU regulators set.

The MiCA transition period ended July 1 with no extensions granted, creating a hard line between licensed and unlicensed operators. Several of the industry's largest names did not make the list of authorized firms, OSL said. The market that emerges will be more concentrated and anchored by the select platforms holding authorization, positioning OSL to serve institutional clients seeking compliant counterparties in both Asia and Europe.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.