MiCA Compliance Costs May Force Licensed Firms Out, Gate Europe CEO Warns

According to Gate Europe CEO Giovanni Cunti in a Cointelegraph Chain Reaction interview, crypto firms that have already secured authorization under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation may still exit the market as ongoing compliance costs rise. Cunti said stricter requirements are making it harder for newcomers to compete and could pressure licensed operators that underestimated the resources needed to remain compliant over time.

The warning follows the EU's MiCA transition period ending on June 30, with the framework taking full effect on July 1. The European Securities and Markets Authority added 37 new crypto-asset service providers to its register on July 3, and 14 more on July 16, bringing the total to 294 authorized firms. Market concentration has accelerated sharply; Poland previously had 1,298 active firms on its national register as of January 13, 2026, but the landscape has compressed to hundreds of operators under the stricter MiCA framework.