Romania had no MiCA authority designated at the 1 July 2026 deadline, and a draft would put crypto ATMs in a national register
Romania’s emergency ordinance of 13 March 2025 made crypto providers subject to AML rules. At the MiCA deadline on 1 July 2026, no authority was designated to license them, according to the financial supervisor. A draft ordinance of 2 April 2026 would add technical approvals and a national register for crypto ATMs. No adopted version was found.
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Romanian authorities designated for MiCA licensing on 1 July 2026
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2 Apr 2026
Draft ordinance reviewed in first reading, with ATM rules
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174
Estimated crypto ATMs in Romania, from one business report
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Romania's emergency ordinance of 13 March 2025 made crypto providers subject to AML rules.1 At the MiCA deadline on 1 July 2026, no authority was designated to license them, according to the financial supervisor.3 A draft ordinance of 2 April 2026 would add technical approvals and a national register for crypto ATMs.2 No adopted version was found.
Last updated: October 2026
Regulatory Framework
Emergency Ordinance 10/2025 was published in Official Gazette No. 225 on 13 March 2025. It amends Law 129/2019 on preventing money laundering and terrorist financing. It repeals the earlier register of exchange and wallet providers, adds crypto-asset providers as obliged entities and places providers that seek MiCA authorisation under the National Bank of Romania (for credit and e-money institutions) or the Financial Supervisory Authority, ASF (for the others). Providers authorised in another member state that operate without a branch must name a contact point in Romania and notify within five days of starting.1
The ordinance also requires providers to assess the risks of transfers to or from unhosted wallets and to apply measures such as verifying the parties and closer monitoring. A EUR 1,000 threshold appears in its due diligence provisions for funds transfers under Regulation (EU) 2023/1113. It sets no separate crypto-specific threshold.1 The text reviewed does not mention ATMs.
The MiCA Licensing Gap
MiCA licensing in Romania depends on a national act that designates the competent authorities. On 1 July 2026 the first vice-president of ASF said that no Romanian authority was designated under MiCA, so applications could not be received or processed. He said that from 1 July 2026 national entities without authorisation may not provide crypto-asset services, and that the deadline comes from MiCA and cannot be extended by national law.3 A business news site reports the ASF statement and adds that the European Commission has opened an infringement procedure against Romania.4
Sources disagree on one point. A lawyer quoted in the same report says Ordinance 10/2025 transposed MiCA and named ASF as the main authority, which contradicts ASF's own statement.4 A May 2025 article described a MiCA ordinance as already issued.8 ASF's position on 1 July 2026 is the more recent and direct one, and no source reviewed shows an adopted ordinance after that date.
The Draft Ordinance and Crypto ATMs
On 2 April 2026 the Government reviewed a draft emergency ordinance on MiCA in first reading. It would designate ASF and the National Bank of Romania as competent authorities, set up an authorisation and supervision regime for providers with technical requirements, and bring in transitional rules for firms already on the market.2 It also sets a sanctions regime and fees for activities of ICI and the Authority for the Digitalisation of Romania.2,7
For crypto ATMs the draft says operators would need technical approvals and ongoing monitoring, and a single national register administered by ICI would list them.2 The press release gives no transaction limits or penalty amounts.2,7 A business news site cited an estimate of 174 crypto ATMs in Romania on 1 July 2026 without naming the source.3
What Is Not Known
Whether the draft was adopted after July 2026 could not be confirmed, and neither could the text of the draft, which would set the technical approvals, fees, deadlines and penalties. The sources do not say how an ATM operator could be authorised while no authority is designated, or whether a licence from another EU state would cover machines in Romania. The Official Gazette and the ASF website could not be checked, and several of the sources above are news reports. These are questions for Romanian counsel and ASF.
Sources and references
1. Emergency Ordinance No. 10/2025 amending Law 129/2019, Official Gazette No. 225 of 13 March 2025, text published by ONPCSB (PRIMARY, accessed 8 October 2026) | onpcsb.ro
2. Government of Romania, press release on the 2 April 2026 meeting, draft emergency ordinance on MiCA (PRIMARY, accessed 8 October 2026) | agerpres.ro
3. Bursa.ro, Romania has no authority designated to apply the EU crypto-asset regulation, 1 July 2026 (SECONDARY, accessed 8 October 2026) | bursa.ro
4. StartupCafe, Crypto platforms cannot be authorised by ASF because there is no national law, 5 July 2026 (SECONDARY, accessed 8 October 2026) | startupcafe.ro
5. StartupCafe, ASF and ESMA draw consumers' attention to unauthorised providers, 25 June 2026 (SECONDARY, accessed 8 October 2026) | startupcafe.ro
6. Chambers Practice Guides, Blockchain and Crypto-Assets 2026, Romania, updated 11 June 2026 (SECONDARY, accessed 8 October 2026) | chambers.com
7. Digi24, The Government reviews new rules for the virtual currency market, crypto ATMs in a national register, 2 April 2026 (SECONDARY, accessed 8 October 2026) | digi24.ro
8. Aleph Business, The Government issues an emergency ordinance on crypto-asset market rules, 27 May 2025 (SECONDARY, conflicts with later ASF statement, accessed 8 October 2026) | alephbusiness.ro
Legal Disclaimer: This article by GENERAL BYTES is for informational purposes only and does not constitute formal legal, financial, or investment advice. Rules may change; always consult specialised local legal counsel and confirm the current position with the Financial Supervisory Authority of Romania before considering market entry.