To check a crypto exchange's licence, find the company's legal name, then search for it on your own country's financial regulator's website. Don't rely on a badge or certificate shown on the exchange's site. If the firm isn't on the official list, or the details don't match, treat it as unlicensed.
The right register depends on where you live. This guide gives you steps that work anywhere, then shows where to look in nine major regions. For the wider picture, see our crypto rules by country page.
What a licence does and doesn't tell you
"Licensed" is used loosely in crypto. In practice, a firm usually holds one of two very different things:
- A licence or authorisation. A regulator has approved the firm to offer certain services under its rules. Hong Kong's platform licence and the EU's MiCA authorisation are examples. MiCA is the EU's crypto law.
- An anti-money-laundering registration. The firm is on a list because it must follow rules against money laundering. This is much narrower. The UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) says its registration is not an endorsement, and that its role under this regime is limited to money-laundering checks. Canada's FINTRAC says registration does not mean it endorses or licenses a business.
Neither one makes your money safe. Singapore's regulator says its rules "cannot insulate customers from losses". In the UK, the FCA says customers of crypto firms are unlikely to have access to the Financial Ombudsman Service, which handles complaints, or the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, which pays out when firms fail.
So treat a licence as a minimum test, not a seal of approval. It is one of several checks in our guide on how to choose a crypto exchange.
How to check a licence in six steps
- Find the legal company name. Look in the exchange's terms of use or website footer. You want the full company name, not the brand name. One brand can use several companies in different countries.
- Find the right regulator. Start with the country where you live. A licence elsewhere may not cover you. The table below lists the main registers.
- Open the register yourself. Type the regulator's address or use a link from a source you trust. Don't click a "verify our licence" link on the exchange's site, because fake sites can copy a real register.
- Search and compare the details. Match the company name, registration number, website address and status. Check that the listed services include what you plan to do, such as buying, selling or storing crypto.
- Check the warning list. Many regulators publish names of firms they are worried about. A firm on one of these lists is a clear stop sign.
- Confirm it can serve you. Some approvals cover only part of a country. In Canada, for example, some platforms on the official list are limited to certain provinces.
Where to check, country by country
Rules change, so always trust the regulator's page over any guide, including this one.
| Region | Where to check | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| United States | FinCEN MSB Registrant Search and NMLS Consumer Access | Check federal registration and your state's licence. FinCEN's listing shows details as provided by the business. If a firm isn't on NMLS, ask your state's financial regulator. |
| United Kingdom | FCA Firm Checker and Warning List | Registration today is for money-laundering rules. A fuller licensing regime is expected from 25 October 2027. |
| European Union | ESMA MiCA register | Open the "Crypto-asset service providers" and "Non-compliant entities" files. The MiCA transition period ended by 1 July 2026 at the latest. A withdrawn authorisation stays listed with its end date, so read the dates. |
| Canada | CSA list of authorized platforms and FINTRAC registry | Check both. FINTRAC registration alone is not approval. Look for your province. |
| Australia | AUSTRAC public register and registration actions | AUSTRAC's register covers virtual asset service providers. Licensing for digital asset platforms comes under ASIC, the financial regulator, from 9 April 2027. |
| Singapore | MAS Financial Institutions Directory and Investor Alert List | The alert list names unregulated firms that people may wrongly think are licensed. |
| Hong Kong | SFC platform lists and Alert List | The SFC had 13 licensed platforms on 16 October 2026. It also lists applicants and platforms closing down. Being "deemed to be licensed" is not a formal licence. |
| India (buying guide) | FIU-IND | Crypto firms serving Indian users, even from abroad, must register as Reporting Entities. We could not confirm a public search tool, so ask the firm for proof and check FIU-IND notices. This is a money-laundering registration: the government still warns there may be no recourse for losses. |
| UAE | VARA public register, ADGM FSRA register, DFSA, CMA | VARA covers Dubai, except the DIFC financial free zone, which the DFSA regulates. ADGM has its own regulator, the FSRA. The federal Capital Market Authority (CMA), formerly the SCA, covers the rest of the UAE and lists licensed companies on its site. |
Live somewhere else? Search for your country's central bank or securities regulator, and make sure you reach its official site. If your country has no crypto rules, a local licence may not exist, and you will have less protection if something goes wrong.
Red flags and fake licences
Scammers know people check for licences, so they fake them. Watch for these signs:
- Cloned firms. The FCA warns that fraudsters use real firms' names and reference numbers to look legitimate. This is called a "clone firm". Be extra careful if someone contacted you first.
- Certificates as proof. A PDF proves nothing. FINTRAC says it does not issue licences or certificates of registration at all, so a "FINTRAC certificate" should raise alarm.
- A licence from somewhere else. A licence in one small country says little about your rights at home, and some countries require foreign firms to sign up too. In July 2026, FATF, the global anti-money-laundering standard-setter, said more than a third of jurisdictions with licensing or registration rules do this for certain offshore firms.
- "Application pending". Applying is not the same as being approved.
- Blocked apps or sites. In September 2026, India's FIU-IND issued non-compliance notices to 15 crypto firms and takedown notices for their apps and sites. A platform can vanish from your phone with little warning.
- Pressure to act fast. Real firms don't need you to deposit today. Read more in our guide to common crypto scams.
What to do if you can't find the exchange
Don't deposit. A missing entry may have an innocent cause, such as a different company name, so contact the regulator if you are unsure. Don't rely on the exchange's own explanation.
If you already hold funds there, think about moving them to a wallet you control while withdrawals still work, and report any concerns to your regulator or the police. Our country guides list where to report a scam.
FAQ
Does a licence mean my crypto is safe?
No. It means a regulator has some oversight of the firm. Crypto prices can still fall, firms can still fail, and compensation schemes often don't cover crypto.
Is a licence from one country valid in another?
Usually not. The EU is the main exception: a MiCA authorisation can be used across member states through a process called passporting.
How often should I check?
Check before your first deposit, and again before moving larger sums. Status can change. AUSTRAC's records show registrations being suspended and cancelled during 2026.
What is the difference between registered and licensed?
Registered often means a firm is known to a regulator and follows money-laundering rules. Licensed usually means wider approval to run the business. Terms vary by country, so read what the regulator says.
Can I trust a licence number on the exchange's website?
Only after you find the same number on the regulator's own site, with the same company name and website address.
This is not financial advice. Crypto is volatile and you can lose money. Do your own research.
