The Central Bank of Latvia has issued BlockBen SIA a licence to provide crypto-asset services, making it the first crypto-asset service provider authorised in Latvia under the European Union Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). The Supervision Committee granted the licence on 3 December. The authorisation allows BlockBen SIA to offer MiCA-permitted crypto-asset services in other European Union countries under MiCA’s cross-border procedure. The firm operates a private closed blockchain supporting crypto-asset exchange, custody and transfers, and offers businesses a utility token issuance service with an option to place tokens on its platform for customer purchase. The central bank also highlighted its pre-licensing support, reporting 50 consultations provided this year, with five licence applications submitted and 12 firms in pre-licensing consultations, alongside published guides on authorisation, token issuance and MiCA crypto-asset classification.
Central Bank of Latvia 2025-12-04
Central Bank of Latvia licenses BlockBen SIA as the first MiCA-authorised crypto-asset service provider in Latvia
The Central Bank of Latvia has granted BlockBen SIA a licence to provide crypto-asset services, marking the first such authorisation in Latvia under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). This licence enables BlockBen SIA to offer MiCA-permitted services across EU countries, leveraging its private blockchain for crypto-asset exchange, custody, and transfers. The central bank also reported extensive pre-licensing support, including consultations and published guides on authorisation and MiCA crypto-asset classification.