Regulatory updates
Latvia Overtakes Lithuania and Estonia: The 2026 Baltic Licensing Numbers
Latvia issued 9 standalone MiCA CASP and 4 EMI licences in 2026 — more than Lithuania and Estonia combined. What changed on the Baltic licensing map.
News & licensing guides
Regulatory changes we're tracking and practical guides from the team that prepares the applications.
Regulatory updates
Latvia's 2026 Licensing Run: Noah Joins 12 MiCA Licensees as Banking Opens Up
Noah LV became Latvia's 12th MiCA licensee on 30 September. Every 2026 Latvijas Banka licence, the new €1M bank licence, and what it means for applicants.
Banking
CRD VI Article 21c: The Grandfathering Deadline Has Already Passed
Most coverage of CRD VI points to January 2027. The date that mattered more was 11 July 2026 — the grandfathering cut-off for third-country bank lending into the EU — and it has already passed.
Payments & EMI
High-Risk Merchant Accounts & Business Banking for Fintech, Forex, Crypto and iGaming
Your licence is approved. Your bank account isn't. Zitadelle AG holds 28 active partnership agreements with payment providers, EMIs and acquirers — and applies to multiple providers on your behalf under one engagement.
Regulatory updates
Payment Licensing Regulatory Changes 2026: PSD3, Canada MSB Crackdown, Mauritius PIS & Offshore Substance Rules
PSD3/PSR final texts, FINTRAC's 2026 MSB crackdown in Canada, Mauritius PIS tax relief, and tightened BVI/Cayman/Seychelles substance rules — what payment and offshore founders need to know now, and which changes are in force versus still proposal-stage.
Regulatory updates
Costa Rica VASP Reform — May 2026: SUGEF Registration Now Mandatory, Banking Access at Stake
Costa Rica enacted Legislative Decree No. 10961 on May 27 2026, amending Law No. 7786 to add VASPs as obligated AML/CFT subjects for the first time. SUGEF registration mandatory. Banking exclusion for unregistered VASPs. Penalties USD $1,800–$90,000. CONASSIF implementing regulations expected within 3 months of La Gaceta publication.
Company formationUpdated
Pillar Two & Offshore Holding Companies 2026 — What Still Works
Does the OECD 15% global minimum tax kill offshore holding structures? What still works in BVI, Cayman, Cyprus, Mauritius, and Singapore — economic substance requirements, January 2026 Side-by-Side Safe Harbor, and CFC rules by founder residency.
BankingUpdated
Banking & Payment Solutions for High-Risk Fintech, Brokers and VASPs in 2026
How forex brokers, iGaming operators, crypto companies, VASPs, and payment firms open corporate accounts, access card processing, and structure client fund arrangements in 2026. Practical advisory from Zitadelle AG.
Regulatory updates
Spain Classifies Spot-Quoted and Perpetual Futures as CFDs — What CySEC-Licensed Brokers Serving EU Clients Must Know
Spain's CNMV has formally notified CySEC that spot-quoted futures and perpetual futures offered to Spanish retail clients must be treated as CFDs — triggering ESMA leverage caps and marketing restrictions. Belgium's blanket CFD ban remains in force. What CIF brokers need to review now.
Regulatory updates
Malaysia's New SC Advertising Rules: RM10 Million Fine or 10 Years Jail for Promoting Unlicensed Brokers
Malaysia's Securities Commission has introduced sweeping new advertising rules targeting unlicensed brokers and financial promoters. Penalties reach RM10 million and 10 years imprisonment. What brokers and affiliates operating in or targeting Malaysia need to know in 2026.
Regulatory updates
Mauritius FSC Authorised Bank Signatory Regime for GBCs: What Changes in 2026
Mauritius is tightening oversight of Global Business Company bank account signatories under the FSC's authorised signatory regime. Here's what GBC holders, fund managers, and corporate service providers need to know in 2026.
Regulatory updates
SVG FSA Issues Updated Requirements for VASP Applicants
The Financial Services Authority of Saint Vincent & the Grenadines has issued revised requirements for Virtual Asset Business applications under the VAB Act, 2022 — including a new explicit requirement for on-shore physical presence.
Regulatory updates
Mauritius FSC Clarification — Investment Dealers Are Not Permitted to Act as Liquidity Providers
The FSC Mauritius has clarified that investment dealer companies may not act as liquidity providers to other brokers. No current authorisation framework permits this activity except under an investment banking licence. Affected firms should seek immediate advice.
About Zitadelle AG
Looking for a Fintech Consultant or Holding Company Registration Expert? Why Zitadelle AG Is the Right Choice
Zitadelle AG is a specialist fintech regulatory advisory firm led by Aleksandr Kazak — a former Swiss bank and MiFID II professional who has run ZAG for 10+ years. Supported by Valeria Teterina (ACCA, IFRS), Elena (EU attorney at law), Chrise Samuil (Malaysia corporate & finance), and Norshiela Binti Ahmad (fintech accountant, Labuan). We handle holding company registrations and financial licensing across Labuan, Mauritius, Cyprus, Seychelles, BVI, Cayman, and 25+ jurisdictions.
Crypto & MiCA
Seychelles Crypto License 2026 — VASP Act Reality Check, Who's Licensed, and What the FSA Actually Expects
OKX, Bybit, eToro, KuCoin, HTX, and BitMEX operate from Seychelles. The VASP Act 2024 ended the no-license era on September 1, 2024. In 2025 the FSA started enforcing: live system walk-throughs, genuine substance requirements, and a new Code of Corporate Governance effective January 2026. The honest 2026 picture.
Company formationUpdated
DMCC Company Registration for Proprietary Trading Firms in Dubai (2026 Guide)
DMCC has been named Global Free Zone of the Year nine consecutive times and hosts 25,000+ companies. The 2025 FZCO suffix rule, tightened UBO obligations, and VARA's NOC pathway for crypto prop desks — everything you need to know about setting up a proprietary trading firm in Dubai in 2026.
Regulatory updates
Crypto Regulation News 2026: MiCA Crackdown, US Clarity Act & the Global VASP Licensing Rush
The regulatory landscape for virtual asset service providers has never moved faster. MiCA deadline July 1, 2026. US CLARITY Act advancing. Japan classifying crypto as financial instruments. Full VASP licensing guide across 17 jurisdictions.
Regulatory updates
Regulated Financial Companies & Licenses for Sale — The Market in 2026
FCA EMI for sale, CySEC CIF acquisition, offshore broker licenses, EMI marketplace. Financial License Market lists 25+ verified regulated entities across 17 jurisdictions. The full 2026 market picture for buying and selling regulated financial companies.
Company News
Zitadelle AG Is Building TheCapitalVerse �� A New Standard for Fintech & Regulatory News
Zitadelle AG launches TheCapitalVerse (thecapitalverse.com) — an independent fintech news and regulatory intelligence platform with cross-verified reporting. Full editorial launch June 2026.
Regulatory updates
Vanuatu FDL Compliance Alert 2026 — VFSC Increases Scrutiny on Audit & Reporting Obligations
VFSC is now issuing license revocation notices for audit deadline breaches. Full breakdown of 2026 compliance obligations for Vanuatu FDL holders — audit deadlines, quarterly reporting, KYC, personnel changes, and operational requirements.
Showing 1–20 of 26 articles
Stay informed on regulatory changes
Subscribe to our newsletter for expert analysis delivered to your inbox.