CASP authorization: What it is and why crypto exchanges need it

When a crypto exchange says it’s CASP authorized, a Crypto-Asset Service Provider license granted by financial regulators like France’s AMF or Italy’s CONSOB. Also known as crypto license, it means the platform has passed strict checks on security, anti-money laundering, and user protection — not just claimed to be "regulated". This isn’t a marketing buzzword. It’s a legal gate that separates platforms you can trust from the ones that vanish overnight.

CASP authorization doesn’t just apply to big exchanges. It affects every player in the crypto space — from DeFi protocols that touch fiat on-ramps to NFT marketplaces that handle payments. If a platform lets you buy crypto with euros or dollars, it likely needs this license. Countries like France, Germany, and Italy now require it by law. Without it, exchanges like Hashfort or Btcwinex can’t legally operate — and that’s exactly why they’re scams. The same logic applies to platforms banned in the Philippines or restricted in Namibia: they skipped the compliance step. Even OFAC sanctions tie into this. If a wallet gets blacklisted, it’s often because the exchange that handled it never had proper CASP oversight to begin with.

Regulators don’t just care about money laundering. They track how platforms handle user funds, whether they audit smart contracts, and if they disclose team identities. That’s why projects like Lenda or Sinverse — with no clear team, no audits, and zero transparency — never get CASP approval. And why exchanges like OraiDEX or BeeEx, despite their tech claims, stay under the radar: they avoid regulated jurisdictions entirely. CASP authorization isn’t about being fancy. It’s about being accountable. If a platform won’t tell you which authority licensed it, or hides behind offshore addresses, it’s not trying to be compliant — it’s trying to disappear.

What you’ll find below is a collection of real cases where crypto platforms either got licensed, got banned, or got exposed as fakes. Some are under strict oversight. Others are outright scams. All of them show why CASP authorization isn’t optional — it’s the line between safety and loss.