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Ireland — Licensing Requirements

Published: 2026-04-21 Updated: 2026-04-15 Author: Perplexity Sonar Version 1 Sources cited in: English (6)

Methodology

AI-generated research via Perplexity Sonar web search.

Limitations

  • Sources not independently verified
  • May not reflect latest regulatory changes

Research the official VASP/CASP registry for Ireland (regulator: CBI).

Provide:

  1. The exact URL of the official public

1. Exact URL of the Official Public Registry

The official public registry for searching licensed/registered VASPs/CASPs in Ireland is the Central Bank of Ireland's Firm Search tool, which covers all regulated financial service providers including VASPs registered for AML/CFT purposes.[1][4][6]
https://registers.centralbank.ie/(S(atb1s1eysq1bdt45cyzep0nm))/FirmSearchPage.aspx[6]

2. Official Name of the Registry or Register

The official name is the Register of Authorised Firms, maintained by the Central Bank of Ireland (CBI), containing individual registers for all financial service providers including VASPs.[4][9]
https://www.centralbank.ie/regulation/how-we-regulate/authorisation/register-of-authorised-firms[9]

3. Type of License or Registration Required

VASPs established in Ireland require VASP registration with the CBI for AML/CFT purposes under the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Acts 2010 to 2021.[1][4]
Emerging CASPs under MiCAR (Regulation (EU) 2023/1114) require CASP authorisation from the CBI.[2]
https://www.centralbank.ie/regulation/anti-money-laundering-and-countering-the-financing-of-terrorism/virtual-asset-service-providers[4]
https://legalbison.com/mica-license/ireland/[2]

4. List of the Top 20 Licensed/Registered VASPs/CASPs in Ireland

Search results do not provide a complete official list of the top 20 VASPs/CASPs with full details (entity name, registration/license number, date, status). The CBI's Firm Search requires interactive querying by firm name or filters, and no exhaustive public extract is included here.[1][6][9] Recent third-party reports indicate ~22-25 registered VASPs (as of late 2024/early 2025), with 11 MiCA-compliant CASPs, but lack comprehensive details or ranking criteria (e.g., by assets, volume).[3][6] One example is provided below from available data; users must query the official registry directly for the full, current list.

Entity Name Registration/License Number Date of Registration/License Grant Current Status Source
Payward Global Solutions Limited (Kraken) 9845003D98SCC2851458 Not specified Active (MiCA-compliant CASP) [8] https://www.esma.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2024-12/CASPS.csv

Notes:

  • No "top 20" ranking exists in sources; lists are unranked.[6] https://thebanks.eu/list-of-vasps/Ireland[6]
  • For complete/current data, use the Firm Search with VASP/AML filters.[6]
  • A third-party PDF reports 22 VASPs as of Q4 2024 but lacks extractable details here.[web:3 from DuckDuckGo]

Source Data

30%

CBI — CASP authorization, VASP registration, AML supervision. Coinbase and Gemini chose Ireland as EU base.

[primary] CBI
60%

No "top 20" ranking exists in sources; lists are unranked. https://thebanks.eu/list-of-vasps/Ireland

[secondary] esma.europa.eu — CASPS.csv [secondary] thebanks.eu — Ireland [] thebanks.eu — Ireland
60%

For complete/current data, use the Firm Search with VASP/AML filters.

[secondary] esma.europa.eu — CASPS.csv [secondary] thebanks.eu — Ireland
60%

A third-party PDF reports 22 VASPs as of Q4 2024 but lacks extractable details here.[web:3 from DuckDuckGo]

[secondary] esma.europa.eu — CASPS.csv [secondary] thebanks.eu — Ireland
50%

Central Bank of Ireland International Financial Sanctions: https://www.centralbank.ie/regulation/how-we-regulate/international-financial-sanctions

[secondary] centralbank.ie — International Financial Sanctions [secondary] ezine.eversheds-sutherland.com — Ireland [primary] ofac.treasury.gov [secondary] binance.com [secondary] lightspark.com — Is Crypto Legal In Ireland
50%

Ireland Global Sanctions Guide: https://ezine.eversheds-sutherland.com/global-sanctions-guide/ireland

[secondary] centralbank.ie — International Financial Sanctions [secondary] ezine.eversheds-sutherland.com — Ireland [primary] ofac.treasury.gov [secondary] binance.com [secondary] lightspark.com — Is Crypto Legal In Ireland
50%

OFAC Virtual Currency FAQs: https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/topic/1626

[secondary] centralbank.ie — International Financial Sanctions [secondary] ezine.eversheds-sutherland.com — Ireland [primary] ofac.treasury.gov [secondary] binance.com [secondary] lightspark.com — Is Crypto Legal In Ireland
50%

EU Crypto Regulation and Ireland Compliance: https://www.binance.com/en/square/post/14988785377977

[secondary] centralbank.ie — International Financial Sanctions [secondary] ezine.eversheds-sutherland.com — Ireland [primary] ofac.treasury.gov [secondary] binance.com [secondary] lightspark.com — Is Crypto Legal In Ireland
50%

Central Bank of Ireland Crypto Regulations 2026: https://www.lightspark.com/knowledge/is-crypto-legal-in-ireland

[secondary] centralbank.ie — International Financial Sanctions [secondary] ezine.eversheds-sutherland.com — Ireland [primary] ofac.treasury.gov [secondary] binance.com [secondary] lightspark.com — Is Crypto Legal In Ireland
70%

Ireland Global Sanctions Guide: https://ezine.eversheds-sutherland.com/global-sanctions-guide/ireland

[secondary] centralbank.ie — International Financial Sanctions [secondary] ezine.eversheds-sutherland.com — Ireland [primary] ofac.treasury.gov [secondary] binance.com [secondary] lightspark.com — Is Crypto Legal In Ireland
70%

OFAC Virtual Currency FAQs: https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/topic/1626

[secondary] centralbank.ie — International Financial Sanctions [secondary] ezine.eversheds-sutherland.com — Ireland [primary] ofac.treasury.gov [secondary] binance.com [secondary] lightspark.com — Is Crypto Legal In Ireland
50%

Central Bank of Ireland (CBI): Regulates financial services, including crypto assets under MiCA.

[secondary] Central Bank of Ireland [secondary] Source
50%

National Crime Agency (NCA): Oversees AML/CFT measures related to crypto activities.

[secondary] Central Bank of Ireland [secondary] Source
50%

Website: Central Bank of Ireland

[secondary] Central Bank of Ireland [secondary] Source
50%

MiCA Regulation (Directive 2022/1530): Establishes a comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto assets across the EU, including Ireland. Effective from July 2024.

[secondary] Central Bank of Ireland [secondary] Source
50%

Financial Services and Markets Act 2019: Provides the legal basis for CBI's oversight of financial activities, including crypto-related services.

[secondary] Central Bank of Ireland [secondary] Source
50%

Ireland is aligned with FATF (Financial Action Task Force) recommendations, adopting similar AML/CFT standards for crypto assets. Source

[secondary] Central Bank of Ireland [secondary] Source
50%

Custody and settlement of crypto assets.

[secondary] Source [secondary] Source
50%

Provision of exchange services for regulated crypto-assets.

[secondary] Source [secondary] Source
50%

Minimum Capital: EUR 50,000 to EUR 150,000, depending on the specific service provided. Source

[secondary] Source [secondary] Source
50%

Submit a detailed application to the CBI.

[secondary] Source [secondary] Source
50%

Undergo a risk assessment by the NCA for AML/CFT compliance.

[secondary] Source [secondary] Source
50%

Expected processing time: 3–6 months.

[secondary] Source [secondary] Source

6 fact(s) collected but awaiting source verification. View in explorer →

References

This article was generated by Perplexity Sonar .

Primary Sources

European Securities and Markets Authority. (n.d.). CASPS. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://www.esma.europa.eu/sites/default/files/2024-12/CASPS.csv

Secondary Sources

Central Bank of Ireland. (n.d.). (S(Atb1s1eysq1bdt45cyzep0nm. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://registers.centralbank.ie/(S(atb1s1eysq1bdt45cyzep0nm

Central Bank of Ireland. (n.d.). Register Of Authorised Firms. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://www.centralbank.ie/regulation/how-we-regulate/authorisation/register-of-authorised-firms

Central Bank of Ireland. (n.d.). Virtual Asset Service Providers. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://www.centralbank.ie/regulation/anti-money-laundering-and-countering-the-financing-of-terrorism/virtual-asset-service-providers

legalbison.com. (n.d.). Ireland. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://legalbison.com/mica-license/ireland/

thebanks.eu. (n.d.). Ireland. Retrieved April 18, 2026, from https://thebanks.eu/list-of-vasps/Ireland

Conflict of Interest

Generated by AI with no financial interest in entities mentioned.

Edit History

2026-04-15 — perplexity/sonar: created
2026-04-16 — auto-publish-pipeline: reviewed — Auto-promoted to review: grade C
2026-04-21 — auto-publish-pipeline: published — Auto-published: grade B

Related Content

Frameworks: vasp-casp-licensing, mica, aml-cft
Fact IDs: ie.licensing.regulator-cbi, ie.licensing.legislation-mica-regulation-eu, ie.licensing.legislation-criminal-justice-money-laundering-and-terrorist-financing-ac, ie.licensing.vasp, ie.licensing.custody, ie.licensing.exchange, ie.licensing.no-top-20-ranking-exists, ie.licensing.for-completecurrent-data-use-the, ie.licensing.a-third-party-pdf-reports-22

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