Lithuania to Classify Unlicensed Crypto Firms as Illegal Under MiCA From 1 January 2026

Lithuania will treat any crypto business operating without an EU MiCA authorization as illegal starting 1 January 2026, with no grace period after the transition ends in 2025. Regulators indicate that, although hundreds of entities are registered, only about thirty have applied for licenses, and enforcement may include fines, website blocks, service shutdowns, and potential criminal referrals. Authorities are pushing non-compliant companies to exit in an orderly way, return client assets, and leave a smaller but more regulated market focused on credibility and investor protection.