Why Does Webull’s Dutch Approval Matter?
Webull’s European unit has secured authorization under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, giving the online brokerage a regulatory route to launch crypto custody and related services from the Netherlands.
The approval initially covers the Dutch market. Webull said it is still awaiting passporting approval before extending the authorized crypto services across the rest of the European Union.
The company plans to begin its European crypto operations in late 2026, rather than launching immediately following the authorization. Webull said the approval will allow it to provide regulated custody services for crypto assets to European clients under MiCA’s investor-protection and operational requirements.
The authorization comes shortly after July 1, 2026, the final deadline for transitional arrangements under MiCA. Firms that had previously operated under national crypto registrations were permitted to continue temporarily while applying for authorization under the EU-wide framework, subject to the transition period adopted by their home jurisdiction.
With those arrangements now ending, crypto firms seeking to continue regulated operations in the bloc must obtain authorization under MiCA or leave the relevant markets. Webull’s approval places the brokerage among the larger financial platforms to secure a license shortly after the end of the transition period.
Why Is Dutch Approval Only the First Step?
The announcement does not mean Webull can immediately offer the same crypto services throughout all EU member states.
Its authorization currently applies in the Netherlands, while the regulatory passport needed to serve clients elsewhere in the bloc remains pending. Under the EU framework, an authorized crypto-asset service provider can use passporting rights to expand across member states without applying for a separate full license in every country.
Webull has not disclosed when it expects the passporting process to be completed, which crypto assets it intends to support, or whether the initial launch will include execution and trading services in addition to custody.
The company’s statement specifically highlighted regulated crypto custody, indicating that holding client assets will form part of the planned offering. However, the final product scope may depend on the services included in the authorization and the outcome of the EU passporting process.
MiCA establishes common rules covering authorization, supervision, disclosure, and operating standards for crypto-asset businesses across the EU. It applies to crypto assets and related services that were not already covered by existing European financial-services legislation.
Investor Takeaway
Webull has cleared an important regulatory hurdle, but the approval is not yet an EU-wide commercial launch. The key next steps are passporting, product scope, supported assets, and the timing of the late-2026 rollout.
How Does Crypto Fit Into Webull’s Brokerage Model?
Webull is not entering Europe as a standalone crypto exchange. Its Dutch entity, Webull Securities Europe, already operates as an investment firm and has built passporting permissions for brokerage activities across multiple European markets.
The Dutch Financial Markets Authority’s register shows Webull Securities Europe holding permissions linked to numerous EU and European Economic Area countries, with many market entries recorded during January and February 2026.
The MiCA authorization adds crypto custody and potentially other digital-asset services to that broader securities operation. This could allow Webull to place equities, exchange-traded products, and crypto assets within the same retail investing platform once the new service is launched.
That model differs from crypto-native exchanges that have had to build regulated securities operations separately. Webull can introduce crypto products to an existing brokerage customer base and use infrastructure already established for client onboarding, trading, and account administration.
The European move is also part of a wider effort by Webull to rebuild and expand its digital-asset business. Webull previously offered cryptocurrency trading in the US before transferring those operations to a separate platform during a period of heightened regulatory uncertainty. The company later moved to reintroduce crypto trading in its domestic market as the regulatory environment changed.
Investor Takeaway
Webull’s advantage is distribution. A MiCA authorization can become more valuable when attached to an existing brokerage platform with funded accounts, onboarding systems, and a multi-asset retail customer base.
What Does This Mean for Webull’s European Expansion?
Europe represents another stage of Webull’s crypto strategy, but the late-2026 launch date suggests the company still has operational work to complete before onboarding crypto clients. This may include custody infrastructure, asset-selection procedures, compliance controls, disclosures, and integration with its existing European brokerage platform.
The timing also gives the company several months to complete the passporting process and determine which European markets will be included in the first phase.
Webull’s European crypto push comes after a year of strong growth for its global brokerage business. The Nasdaq-listed company reported $571 million in revenue for 2025, up 46% from the previous year, while trading-related revenue increased 59%. Customer assets reached $24.6 billion, funded accounts rose to 5 million, and registered users increased to 26.8 million.
Equity notional trading volume reached $239 billion in the fourth quarter, an increase of 87% from the same period a year earlier. Daily average revenue trades rose to 1.2 million.
Those figures give Webull a larger financial and customer base from which to fund geographic and product expansion. The company has identified global expansion and new product development as areas of investment, and the MiCA authorization brings its European operation closer to offering a broader multi-asset platform.
The immediate impact remains limited. Dutch approval has been obtained, but EU-wide passporting is still pending and clients will not gain access to the planned crypto services until late 2026.
The significance of the authorization is strategic rather than operational: Webull has secured the regulatory foundation for a European crypto business just as MiCA’s transition window closes, but the commercial launch and full geographic reach are still months away.
