Licence by product · NFT
NFT Marketplace Licensing
True NFTs sit outside most licensing perimeters — and most “NFT marketplaces” still trip one anyway, through custody, payments or fractional drops. Here's where the lines actually run.
overview
What you actually need.
NFTs that are genuinely unique and non-fungible sit outside MiCA and most VASP perimeters — a marketplace where users mint and trade one-of-one assets wallet-to-wallet, with the venue never touching assets or funds, generally needs structuring rather than a licence. That's the clean model, and it's achievable if you design for it.
Three features break it. Custody: hold users' NFTs or crypto balances in venue-controlled wallets and you're a custodian. Payments: run the money leg yourself — collecting fiat, converting, settling to sellers — and you're into payment/exchange territory. Fractionalisation or serial drops: split an NFT into fungible shares, or issue large series of interchangeable tokens, and the “non-fungible” exemption dissolves — MiCA treats fractional NFTs as crypto-assets, and securities analysis lurks behind that.
So the work is architectural: keep trading wallet-to-wallet, keep the money leg with licensed PSPs, keep drops genuinely unique — or accept that a feature crosses the line and license that function properly (a VASP/CASP on the custody or exchange leg; Georgia's ~60-day registration is the pragmatic home). We map your feature set against the perimeters before you build, not after a regulator does.
your options
The routes that work.
Wallet-to-wallet trading, licensed PSPs on the money leg, unique assets only — structured entity, no licence. The model we design for by default.
Venue-held assets or balances — the custody leg gets a VASP/CASP authorisation (Seychelles wallet type, MiCA custody class, or Georgia's fast registration).
You run the money leg — payment/exchange licensing applies (see our crypto payment licence page); often smarter to keep a licensed PSP in the loop instead.
head to head
NFT marketplace routes compared
| Model | Licensing | Timeline | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-custodial venue | none — structuring only | weeks | Cleanest; UX constraints on the money leg |
| Custodial (Georgia VASP) | ~$500 state fee | ≈60 days | Fast regulated home for held assets |
| Custodial (Seychelles wallet type) | $25k capital | 3–6 months | Dedicated custody authorisation |
| Custodial (MiCA custody class) | €125k capital | 3–6 months | EU-facing custodial venues |
| Own payment leg | payment/exchange licensing | route-dependent | Full control, full perimeter — see crypto payments |
requirements
Eligibility & docs.
step by step
From product to licence.
- Scope callYour marketplace, target markets and custody model — we confirm which activities are actually licensable, where, and what the all-in number is.Day 1
- Company & structureWe incorporate the entity where the regime wants it — with the substance (director, office, officers) that regulator expects, no more, no less.Week 1–3
- File & evidenceKYC on owners, business plan, AML/CFT programme, the feature audit and money-leg map — we assemble the file and run the regulator dialogue to approval.Week 3+
- Authorisation & railsLicence or registration granted; banking/EMI accounts and on/off-ramps plugged in around it. We stay on for reporting and renewals.Regime-dependent
Want the shortlist for your exact product?
Tell us your product, target markets and payment mix — we'll confirm the route that gets you live fastest at the lowest all-in cost, with the number itemised.
costs
What it costs.
Most NFT venues shouldn't buy a licence — they should buy the architecture that avoids needing one, and licence only if a custodial or payment feature is core to the product. We'll tell you which you are on the first call.
go deeper
Jurisdictions & related services.
FAQ
Do NFT marketplaces need a licence?
A genuinely non-custodial venue trading unique NFTs wallet-to-wallet, with licensed PSPs on the money leg — generally no. Custody of assets/balances, running your own payment leg, or fractional/serialised drops each pull specific functions into VASP/CASP territory.
Are NFTs covered by MiCA?
Genuinely unique, non-fungible assets are outside MiCA's scope. The exemption dissolves for fractionalised NFTs and large fungible-like series — those are ordinary crypto-assets under MiCA, and sometimes securities elsewhere.
We hold users' NFTs in platform wallets — licensed?
Yes, that's custody of crypto-assets regardless of the NFT label. Routes: Georgia's ~60-day VASP registration, Seychelles' wallet type ($25k capital), or MiCA's custody class (€125k) for EU users. Or re-architect to non-custodial — often the better answer.
Can we process payments between buyers and sellers?
If you take the money yourself, you're in payment/exchange territory (see our crypto payment licence page). Most venues keep a licensed PSP or on-ramp partner in the loop instead — same UX, none of the perimeter.
What about AML if we're unlicensed?
AML rules can bite marketplaces at value thresholds even without a licence — high-value trades need KYC in several regimes. We build the threshold logic into the venue's terms and tooling as part of structuring.
other products
Licensing a different product?
Reviewed by the Vantegris licensing team. This page is general information, not legal advice. Fee schedules and timelines mirror our jurisdiction pages and change when regulators change them.
Free consultation
Start your licence file.
Tell us the product — we'll map the licence, banking and structure that gets it live. Free, confidential, no obligation — most enquiries get a reply within 24 hours.