Check two things separately: whether the app accepts customers who live in your country, and whether the legal entity operating it is currently authorized for the crypto service you plan to use. Find the entity’s exact name in the app’s legal disclosures, confirm your country is covered in its current terms, then verify the entity and permitted activities in the relevant regulator’s official register. An app-store listing or familiar brand is not proof of either.
How do I check whether a crypto app is available and regulated where I live?
- Identify the legal provider. Open the app’s terms, legal notice, general conditions or account disclosures. Record the exact company name, its jurisdiction and any stated regulator or authorization number. The brand on the app icon may differ from the company named in the legal documents. Luxembourg’s CSSF advises consumers to look for the provider’s official name and authorizations in those disclosures: CSSF guidance.
- Confirm country availability separately. Check the provider’s current country list, terms and onboarding disclosures for your residence and intended use. Website access, advertising or an app-store listing does not establish that the provider accepts customers in your country or has permission to serve them there.
- Find the relevant regulator’s register. Search the official register using the legal entity’s exact name, not just the brand. Depending on your country, there may be a national register, a regional register, or both.
- Match the service and status. Check that the record is for the same legal entity, is current, applies to your jurisdiction and covers the feature you intend to use—such as transfers, exchange or custody. A registration, application, no-objection certificate or in-principle approval is not automatically a full licence.
- Resolve anything unclear before depositing money. Ask the provider for its legal entity, regulator, authorization number and permitted services if any detail is missing or inconsistent. Verify the answer directly with the regulator rather than relying on the provider’s claim alone.
These checks answer different questions: the provider’s disclosures help establish whether it serves your country; the regulator’s record helps establish its official status and authorized activities. Neither replaces the other.
Which official registers should I check?
Use the regulator with jurisdiction over the service in your country. Some markets also have a regional register. These examples show why the register name and the type of authorization matter:
| Where | Where to check | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | ESMA’s CASP register and the relevant national regulator’s register | Confirm the provider has the required CASP authorization for the services it offers. The CSSF says the MiCA transition period ended on 1 July 2026; providers may no longer offer crypto-asset services in the EU without CASP authorization. |
| Australia | AUSTRAC’s public VASP register | Check whether the provider is currently registered. AUSTRAC describes registration for covered activities such as exchange, safekeeping and certain transfers; do not treat it as proof of a broader prudential or consumer-protection licence. |
| Pakistan | PVARA’s licensing information and public register | Compare the legal name, licence number and authorized service categories. PVARA says a no-objection certificate is preliminary approval, not the subsequent VASP licence. |
| Dubai | VARA’s public register | Distinguish a full VASP licence from in-principle approval. VARA says an IPA holder cannot begin virtual-asset activities or serve clients until it receives a full licence. VARA covers Dubai’s mainland and free zones except the Dubai International Financial Centre. |
In the EU, the Central Bank of Ireland also directs consumers to ESMA to verify MiCAR authorization and warns that unauthorized providers do not confer MiCAR safeguards: Central Bank of Ireland consumer guidance. Outside these examples, use your own national regulator’s current register; authorization in one country should not be assumed to apply in another.
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How do I tell a full licence from registration or preliminary approval?
Read the regulator’s description of the entry rather than relying on a provider’s wording. Regulatory terms are not interchangeable: registration may establish that a provider is listed for specified activities under a particular framework, while a licence or authorization may impose a different scope and set of requirements.
- Full authorization: Confirm it is active and covers the service and jurisdiction you need.
- Registration: Confirm what the registration allows under that country’s rules. AUSTRAC says VASP registrations can be suspended or cancelled, so check the live record close to the time you plan to use the service.
- Preliminary approval: Do not mistake an application milestone for permission to serve customers. VARA says IPA holders cannot operate or serve clients before receiving a full VASP licence. PVARA distinguishes its preliminary NOC from the later licence.
- Application or pending status: Treat it as unapproved unless the regulator explicitly says otherwise.
Does the authorization cover payments, exchange and custody?
Not necessarily. Crypto apps can combine transfers or payments, exchange, trading and custody, and a provider’s authorization may cover only specified categories. Check the regulator’s activity description against the exact feature you want to use. PVARA explicitly says a licence authorizes only the categories listed in it.
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When comparing more than one app, record the legal entity, regulator and country, current status, authorized activities, countries covered by the provider’s terms, and whether those terms permit your intended use. Then check practical details—supported assets, payment methods, fees, limits, withdrawals, account access and security controls—in the provider’s current terms. Regulatory status alone does not establish those product details.
What does a regulator’s listing not guarantee?
A regulator’s record concerns the provider’s status and specified activities under that framework. It does not guarantee that a particular token is safe, that an investment will perform well, or that the service is free of operational risk. EU supervisory authorities warn that protections can be limited depending on the crypto-asset and service, and advise consumers to understand what they are using and secure their wallets: EU Supervisory Authorities’ consumer warning.
What to do if the app or register does not match
- If you find several similarly named entities, compare the full legal name and jurisdiction in the app’s documents with the register entry.
- If the brand appears but the operating company does not, ask the provider which legal entity contracts with customers in your country.
- If the provider appears in a register but the activity is missing, do not assume the listing covers payments, exchange or custody; ask the regulator or provider to clarify the scope.
- If the record shows a pending, preliminary, suspended or cancelled status, do not treat it as current full authorization.
- If the provider’s country list conflicts with the regulator’s record or local rules, pause before funding the account and confirm the position with the regulator.
Check the live record near the time you intend to use the app. Terms, country availability and regulatory status can change, and an old screenshot or marketing statement may no longer reflect the current position.
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