OKX Europe offers 8% deposit bonus to users from exchanges facing MiCA deadline
More than 80% of crypto exchanges currently operating in Europe could disappear after the EU’s July 1 MiCA transition deadline, according to OKX Europe, which has launched an incentive program offering up to 8% bonuses to attract customers from firms that fail to secure authorization.
- OKX Europe is offering deposit bonuses of up to 8% as the EU’s MiCA licensing deadline approaches.
- The exchange estimates that only about 200 crypto providers hold MiCA authorization, with many firms facing market exit after July 1.
- Licensed companies are taking different approaches to the transition, with OKX targeting migrating users and BitGo launching compliance infrastructure for crypto firms.
In an announcement shared with crypto.news, OKX Europe said the closure process is already accelerating across the region as crypto businesses confront the final stages of the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation.
The exchange estimates that only around 200 providers currently hold MiCA licenses despite between 1,100 and 1,300 crypto asset service providers operating under national regimes before the framework took effect.
As licensed firms position themselves for the next phase of the market, OKX is offering deposit bonuses ranging from 5% to 8% for customers transferring assets to its platform. The promotion runs until July 13, 2026, and applies to deposits made through SEPA transfers, debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and on-chain crypto transfers.
“We got our MiCA licence early because we knew this day would come. 80% of exchanges operating in Europe today won’t survive the end of the MiCA transition.”
– Erald Ghoos, CEO of OKX Europe.
According to Ghoos, customers whose exchanges do not obtain the necessary licenses may choose to move their assets elsewhere as the regulatory deadline approaches. He added that OKX is prepared to welcome users leaving unregulated platforms and is willing to support companies seeking an orderly market exit.
MiCA deadline puts pressure on unlicensed firms
Across Europe, regulators have warned that firms operating without authorization after July 1 can no longer legally provide crypto services within the bloc.
As the deadline approaches, licensed companies are pursuing different strategies to capture demand created by the regulatory changes. On June 17, BitGo launched a MiCA-compliant Crypto-as-a-Service platform designed to help companies continue serving customers through regulated infrastructure while they pursue their own licenses.
Industry data cited by law firm Hogan Lovells showed that more than 3,000 crypto businesses were registered across Europe before MiCA. By May 2026, however, only 194 authorized CASPs, including credit institutions, had secured approval under the framework. Hogan Lovells estimated that roughly 75% of firms operating under pre-MiCA registrations could lose their ability to operate as national transition periods come to an end.
Evidence of the ongoing consolidation has already emerged in several jurisdictions. More than 240 crypto businesses ceased operations in Lithuania at the end of 2025 after local transition arrangements expired. In France, OKX said around 90 firms remain without MiCA authorization ahead of the country’s June 30 deadline, while fewer than one-third have entered the licensing process.
European regulators have also urged companies that fail to obtain approval to help customers move assets to licensed providers or self-custody solutions. The European Securities and Markets Authority previously stated that firms continuing to operate without authorization after the deadline would be in breach of EU law and should implement orderly wind-down plans.
Holding a MiCA passport that allows operations across the European Union, alongside MiFID II and Payment Institution licenses, OKX Europe is positioning itself among the firms expected to remain active as the region’s crypto market enters its first full licensing regime.
