Exclusive: Bybit gets Austria FMA Electronic Money Institution license
Bybit Payments GmbH has received an Electronic Money Institution licence from Austria's FMA, allowing the crypto exchange to issue digital money and offer payment services across the EU.
Bybit has expanded its European regulatory footprint with an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence from Austria's Financial Market Authority (FMA), effective August 4, 2026. The licence was granted to Bybit Payments GmbH, the company's Austrian payments entity.
Bybit, headquartered in Dubai, had previously established its European headquarters in Vienna after receiving a MiCAR crypto licence from the FMA. The new EMI authorisation broadens the exchange's remit in the region beyond digital asset services.
The authorisation allows Bybit Payments GmbH to issue electronic money and provide four categories of payment services: incoming payment business, outgoing payment business, payment business, and issuing and acquiring. With the EMI licence, Bybit can issue digital money, offer IBAN accounts, and process payments across EU member states through passporting.
The move is the latest example of crypto exchanges diversifying into traditional financial services. Bybit launched its Bybit TradFi initiative last year, part of a broader industry trend toward products such as FX and CFDs trading alongside digital asset offerings.
By securing the Austrian EMI licence, Bybit positions itself to offer payments and digital money services to clients in the European Economic Area, leveraging Vienna as its EU hub.
Source: FX News Group