Online brokerage firm Change, which already holds a Dutch investment firm license, can now operate as a crypto-asset service provider under MiCA. The approval enables the firm to expand its operations across the European Economic Area (EEA).

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In a Wednesday announcement, Change completed its notification under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation in the Netherlands. It allows the firm to expand into crypto services under a single European framework.

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AFM Notification Expands Scope

The approval from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) adds to its existing status as a regulated investment firm and enables passporting across the European Economic Area.

Change operates a mobile-focused trading platform that offers access to crypto assets, ETFs and CFDs on stocks, forex and commodities to clients in more than 30 European countries. The firm is regulated in the Netherlands and Estonia and is majority-owned by Switzerland-based private equity firm Andromeda Capital Partners Suisse, whose portfolio includes MetroTrade, AgenaTrader and TradersYard.

“There are still relatively few firms in Europe that combine both an investment firm license and a MiCA authorization under the same regulator. We believe this dual regulatory foundation is a strong differentiator,” said Ingmar Mattus, the Co-Founder at MetroTrade.

With this step, Change can offer crypto-related services alongside its existing products. The firm stated that the move aligns with its focus on regulatory compliance , transparency, and customer protection. The company did not disclose specific product changes but said updates will follow in the coming weeks.

Existing Platform and Backing

MiCA is expected to reshape how crypto firms operate in Europe by introducing consistent licensing and conduct standards. Firms that complete registration early can scale services more easily across borders.

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MoonPay, BitStaete, ZBD, and Hidden Road became the first firms to receive MiCA licenses in the Netherlands, issued by the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets and allowing them to operate across all 27 EU member states.

Under MiCA, crypto firms must obtain a Crypto Asset Service Provider license from any EU member state to passport their services across the bloc, and while all countries faced a December 30 implementation deadline, adoption has progressed at different speeds, with the Netherlands among the early movers.

MiCA, introduced in 2020 and passed in 2023, is gradually reshaping the EU crypto market by imposing uniform rules, including stricter treatment of stablecoins that has already triggered measures such as some exchanges delisting Tether.