Europe

Austria crypto restrictions and exchange access

Austria's FMA licenses crypto firms under the EU's MiCA rules, the state holds a gambling monopoly, and private crypto gains are taxed at a flat 27.5%.

Available

of 22 platforms

Limited

of 22 platforms

Restricted

of 22 platforms

Regulator

Top exchanges by access score

Last updated 20 Oct 2026

Map of Austria and its neighbours with Austria highlighted, beside the 22 tracked platforms grouped by status in Austria: 3 restricted (Bitget, Gemini, HTX); 7 limited (Binance, Bitfinex, Bybit, Crypto.com, Gate, KuCoin, MEXC); 12 available (Aster, Bitstamp, Coinbase, Hyperliquid, Jupiter, Kalshi, Kraken, Lighter, OKX, PancakeSwap, Polymarket, Uniswap). Right: 3 of 22 tracked platforms refuse Austria; 7 are limited; the special tax rate on crypto is 27.5%; 12 Austrian firms are on ESMA's MiCA list, two of them tracked here (Bybit EU and KuCoin EU).

Is crypto legal in Austria?

Yes. We found no Austrian law that bars individuals from buying, holding or trading crypto, and the Federal Ministry of Finance publishes tax rules for private holders. What the law controls is who may serve you: since 30 December 2024 every provider needs a MiCA licence, and in Austria the Financial Market Authority (FMA) grants it.

The EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) set the licensing rules, and Austria’s implementing law, the MiCA-Verordnung-Vollzugsgesetz, makes the FMA the supervisor. Its release of 7 August 2024 says the main MiCA provisions apply from 30 December 2024.

MiCA replaced Austria’s older registration regime. Before it, crypto firms registered with the FMA under the financial-market anti-money-laundering act, and the same release counts twelve registered providers and about 300,000 Austrian customers in 2023. They could keep operating until the end of 2025 at the latest, unless they won a MiCA licence sooner. The EU-wide limit then passed on 1 July 2026. In a notice of 23 June 2026 the FMA told customers of unauthorised providers that they do not get MiCA’s safeguards, and that they can check ESMA’s register or the FMA’s company database.

Which crypto exchanges work in Austria?

Seven of the exchanges we track serve Austrian users under a MiCA licence: Kraken, Coinbase, Bitstamp, OKX, Bybit, Crypto.com and Gate. Only Bybit is licensed by the FMA itself; the other six serve Austria on a passport from Ireland, Luxembourg or Malta. Four are fully available, and Bybit, Crypto.com and Gate are limited because they offer no derivatives here.

The register is ESMA’s interim MiCA list. Bybit is the one tracked exchange the FMA licenses at home: Bybit EU GmbH, whose authorisation of 28 May 2025 covers custody, converting crypto to funds and to other crypto, placing and transfer services. Kraken reaches Austria from Ireland, and Coinbase from Luxembourg.

The same list names twelve firms with Austria as home state: Bitpanda, Bybit EU, Cryptonow, AMINA (Austria), FIOR Digital, KuCoin EU Exchange, DADAT Krypto, Coinfinity, Validvent Technology, WB-Shields Innovations (WhiteBIT EU), OSL EU and MEGE zweite (BingX EU). Bitpanda’s authorisation of 9 April 2025 is the earliest, and the latest the list shows is dated 13 October 2026. KuCoin holds one of them, KuCoin EU Exchange, licensed on 27 November 2025, but the FMA still prohibits it from starting business, so we count KuCoin as limited. Gemini holds its MiCA licence from Malta, not Austria, and has closed every EEA account.

Best crypto platforms for Austrian residents

By our access score, Bitstamp and Kraken (each 8.0 out of 10) are the most open exchanges for Austrian users, ahead of Bybit (7.9), which is the only one with an Austrian licence on file. Kalshi and Polymarket (8.0) are the open prediction markets, and all six DeFi platforms we track tie at 8.0.

The score rates how fully an Austrian resident can use each platform, not its fees or safety. It is computed from our data and moves when a row changes: access status (4 points), the share of the platform’s products open here (3), the licences we hold on file for Austria (2) and what our geo-access test saw from an Austrian address (1). Platforms that refuse Austrian users are not scored. The full method is on our methodology page.

Exchanges

Bitstamp
Best for Spot trading from a long-running EU licence
8.0/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Bitstamp Europe S.A. holds a CSSF MiCA licence from 15 May 2025
- Our test loaded the home page from an Austrian address with no barrier
Cons
- No Austrian entity: served from Luxembourg
Read our Bitstamp report
Kraken
Best for A MiCA-licensed exchange with a dedicated EU entity
8.0/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Payward Europe Solutions holds a Central Bank of Ireland MiCA licence, passported to all 30 EEA countries
- Our test loaded sign-up from an Austrian address with no barrier
Cons
- No Austrian entity: served from Ireland
Read our Kraken report
Bybit
Best for Spot trading from an Austrian licence
7.9/10
Access
3.5/4
Products
2.4/3
Licences
1/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Bybit EU GmbH is authorised by the FMA itself
- Spot trading is open and our test loaded sign-up with no barrier
Cons
- Bybit EU offers no derivatives
- EEA access to Bybit Global, which does, is being wound down
Read our Bybit report
Coinbase
Best for A MiCA-licensed exchange with the widest reach
7.5/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
0.5/1
Pros
- Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. holds a CSSF MiCA licence passported across the EEA
Cons
- Our test showed a notice that stocks and prediction markets are not available
- No Austrian entity: served from Luxembourg
Read our Coinbase report
OKX
Best for A global brand with a local EU site
7.5/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
0.5/1
Pros
- OKX Europe Limited holds an MFSA MiCA licence from 27 January 2025
- okx.com points Austrian visitors to OKX Europe
Cons
- Served from Malta, not Austria
Read our OKX report
Crypto.com
Best for Spot trading in an app
6.3/10
Access
3.5/4
Products
1.8/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Foris DAX MT Limited holds a Malta MiCA licence from 27 January 2025
- Spot trading and the app are offered
Cons
- Austria is on its derivatives geo-restrictions list
Read our Crypto.com report
Gate
Best for Spot trading on a licensed EU arm
5.5/10
Access
3.5/4
Products
1.5/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
0.5/1
Pros
- Gate Technology Ltd holds a Maltese MiCA licence
- Spot trading is open to Austrian users
Cons
- No derivatives: global Gate lists Austria as restricted
- Our test showed a prompt to switch to the EU site
Read our Gate report

Prediction markets

Kalshi
Best for A regulated-exchange model open to Austria
8.0/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Austria is not on its restricted-jurisdictions list
- Our test loaded sign-up from an Austrian address
Cons
- We found no Austrian ruling on prediction markets
Read our Kalshi report
Polymarket
Best for A crypto-based prediction market open to Austria
8.0/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Austria is not on its list of restricted countries
- Our test loaded the home page from an Austrian address
Cons
- We found no Austrian ruling on prediction markets
Read our Polymarket report

DeFi

Aster
Best for Perpetual futures on several chains
8.0/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Austria is not on its prohibited-jurisdictions list
- The trading app loaded in our test
Cons
- No licence on file for Austria
Read our Aster report
Hyperliquid
Best for Perpetual futures from your own wallet
8.0/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Excludes only the US, Ontario and broadly sanctioned places
- Its trading app loaded in our test
Cons
- No licence on file for Austria
Read our Hyperliquid report
Jupiter
Best for Solana swaps
8.0/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Austria is not in its terms
- Its app loaded in our test
Cons
- No licence on file for Austria
Read our Jupiter report
Lighter
Best for Perpetual futures on an order-book DEX
8.0/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Austria is not named in its terms
- Its trading app loaded in our test
Cons
- No licence on file for Austria
Read our Lighter report
PancakeSwap
Best for BNB Chain swaps and pools
8.0/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Not excluded by its terms
- The swap page loaded in our test
Cons
- No licence on file for Austria
Read our PancakeSwap report
Uniswap
Best for Swapping tokens from your own wallet
8.0/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Its terms bar only places under comprehensive US sanctions
- Our test loaded the swap app from an Austrian address
Cons
- No licence on file for Austria
Read our Uniswap report

Which platforms block Austrian users?

Three of the 22 platforms we track refuse Austrian users: Gemini, Bitget and HTX. Seven more are limited because they have no working MiCA licence or offer only part of their service: Binance, KuCoin, MEXC, Bitfinex, Bybit, Crypto.com and Gate.

Most exits trace to MiCA. Gemini closed every UK and EEA account on 6 April 2026. Bitget’s Terms of Use, updated 16 October 2026, name Austria among the prohibited countries, while Bitget EU has applied to the FMA and will serve the EU only once authorised. Binance has had no MiCA authorisation since 1 July 2026, closing sign-ups, deposits and trading while existing users can withdraw. The FMA put out an investor warning on HTX on 13 June 2024, HTX’s terms bar every EU state, and since 23 August 2026 EU sanctions on Russia-linked providers ban dealings with it, under Regulation (EU) 2026/1848.

Platforms that refuse or restrict Austrian usersPick one to see what we found

Platform	Status	Type	What we found
Gemini	Restricted	Exchange	Closed every UK and EEA account on 6 April 2026; its sign-up page refused us from Austria
Bitget	Restricted	Exchange	Austria is on its prohibited-countries list, yet its sign-up page loaded for us; Bitget EU awaits FMA authorisation
HTX	Restricted	Exchange	The FMA warned investors in 2024, its terms bar all EU states, and EU sanctions ban dealings from 23 August 2026
Binance	Limited	Exchange	No MiCA licence since 1 July 2026: sign-ups, deposits and trading closed, existing users can withdraw
KuCoin	Limited	Exchange	KuCoin EU is licensed by the FMA but barred from starting business; trading and deposits have been suspended since 4 February 2026
MEXC	Limited	Exchange	No MiCA licence; ESMA lists it as non-compliant
Bitfinex	Limited	Exchange	No Bitfinex company is on ESMA’s register, yet sign-up stays open
Bybit	Limited	Exchange	Spot is served by Bybit EU under an Austrian licence; no derivatives
Crypto.com	Limited	Exchange	Spot is served under a Maltese licence; derivatives are barred
Gate	Limited	Exchange	Gate EU serves spot, convert and staking; it offers no derivatives

Source: platform terms and notices, FMA, ESMA, EU Official Journal, verified 17 October 2026. What each site showed us is in the next section.

What our geo-access test saw from Austria

From an Austrian address on 14 and 16 October 2026 we loaded 22 of the platforms we track: 1 refused us, 5 showed a notice or a redirect, and 16 loaded with no barrier.

An open page is not permission. Bitget, HTX and MEXC all loaded although their terms or ESMA’s register say Austria should not be served. The one refusal was Gemini (“Gemini does not currently operate in Austria”). The five notices were Binance’s European regulatory page, a prompt to switch to the EU site at Gate and KuCoin, OKX’s redirect to its European site, and Coinbase’s note that stocks and prediction markets are unavailable. Swipe through the screenshots below; each card quotes the message the page showed.

Who regulates crypto in Austria?

The FMA authorises and supervises crypto firms. The Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF) sets the tax treatment and receives crypto reports under the EU’s DAC8 rules, and the Glücksspielgesetz reserves gambling to the federal government.

FMA. The competent authority under MiCA. It also keeps the company database where providers that have notified services in Austria are listed, and it publishes investor warnings such as the one on HTX.
BMF. Sets the tax rules covered below and receives the DAC8 reports. Its crypto tax page was last updated on 1 January 2026.
ESMA. Keeps the EU-wide interim register of authorised providers and a list of non-compliant ones, which is how we place MEXC.

Which crypto products are limited in Austria?

Spot trading is the open product. Derivatives are the narrowest: Bybit, Crypto.com and Gate offer none to Austrian users, and stocks and prediction markets are unavailable at Coinbase in our test.

Leveraged derivatives. Bybit EU offers no derivatives, and EEA access to Bybit Global, which does, is being wound down. Austria is on Crypto.com’s derivatives geo-restrictions list, and global Gate lists it as restricted in its user agreement, leaving Gate’s EU arm without derivatives.
What a licence covers. The FMA’s authorisation of Bybit EU lists five services: custody, converting crypto to funds, converting crypto to other crypto, placing, and transfers on behalf of clients. A product outside that list needs its own permission.
Stocks and prediction markets. Coinbase’s home page showed us a notice that both are not available in our Austrian test.

Are prediction markets legal in Austria?

Unsettled. Austrian law reserves games of chance to the federal government, but we found no ruling or regulator statement that applies it to prediction markets, and neither Polymarket nor Kalshi restricts Austria.

The Glücksspielgesetz (GSpG) reserves the right to run games of chance to the federal government in section 3, the gambling monopoly. Section 1 defines a game of chance as one whose result depends exclusively or predominantly on chance, and section 52 sets fines of up to EUR 60,000 for offering gambling without a licence. The act does not mention prediction markets, and our searches found no Austrian authority, court or ministry that has said whether they fall under it. Whether a market on an election or a match is gambling is therefore a legal question we cannot answer for you.

Both large prediction markets accept Austrian users in our data. Austria is not on Polymarket’s list of restricted countries, nor among the restricted jurisdictions in Kalshi’s member agreement, and both pages loaded in our test.

How is crypto taxed in Austria?

Austria taxes private crypto gains and income at a flat special rate of 27.5%, with no progression, for assets bought after 28 February 2021. Assets bought earlier stay under the old rules unless they are used for lending, staking or airdrops.

The Federal Ministry of Finance’s guidance, updated on 1 January 2026, says the regime has applied since 1 March 2022 and treats holdings acquired before 1 March 2021 as old assets taxed as before the reform. Swapping one crypto-asset for another is not a disposal, and the cost basis carries over; selling for euros or paying for goods or services is. Staking that works like validation is taxed only when you sell, while lending interest and mining are taxed as income when received. Airdrops, bounties and hard forks cost nothing to receive and are taxed in full on a later sale. Losses can be set against other capital income.

Who collects depends on where you trade. Austrian providers and other domestic payers must withhold the 27.5% on income accruing after 31 December 2023, which settles the tax. On a foreign exchange nothing is withheld, so you declare the income in your tax return.

Reporting is changing too. Austria’s DAC8 law, the Krypto-Meldepflichtgesetz, has applied since 1 January 2026, and KPMG’s tax newsletter reports that the first reports, for 2026, are due on 31 July 2027. That date comes from a secondary source, not the BMF.

Working out the tax on an Austrian crypto saleFor a private person, from the BMF’s guidance

Step	Detail
Date the asset	Bought after 28 February 2021 means the 27.5% regime; earlier holdings keep the old rules unless used for lending, staking or airdrops
Find the taxable event	A swap between crypto-assets is not taxed; a sale for euros or a payment with crypto is
Net the result	Use the moving average price as cost basis and set losses against other capital income
Pay or declare	An Austrian provider withholds the 27.5%; on a foreign exchange you declare the income yourself

Source: BMF, updated 1 January 2026, checked 18 October 2026.

Sources: Austrian FMA (1: FMA takes over supervision of crypto-asset service providers in Austria (7 August 2024), 2: End of the MiCAR transition period (23 June 2026), 3: Granting of authorisation to Bybit EU GmbH, 4: Ban on new business for KuCoin EU lifted, commencement of business operations remains prohibited (18 May 2026), 5: Investor warning: HTX / Huobi (13 June 2024)), ESMA (1: Interim MiCA register: authorised crypto-asset service providers (CASPS.csv), 2: Public statement: the MiCA transitional period ends (June 2026)), Kraken: Where is Kraken licensed or regulated?, Coinbase: Coinbase licences in Europe, Gemini: Areas of availability, with the UK and EEA closure notice, Binance: Binance update on MiCA and EU services (2026), Bybit: Important notice for users in the European Economic Area, Bybit EU: Terms of service, KuCoin: KuCoin EU update (30 June 2026), Bitget (1: Terms of Use: prohibited countries (updated 16 October 2026), 2: Bitget EU applies for MiCA authorisation), HTX: HTX user agreement, European Union: Regulation (EU) 2026/1848: Russia-sanctions package listing crypto-asset service providers (July 2026), Crypto.com: Derivatives trading geo-restrictions, Gate: User agreement, RIS: Glücksspielgesetz (GSpG), consolidated federal law, version of 17 October 2026, Polymarket: Geographic restrictions (14 August 2026), Kalshi: Member Agreement, section VI: restricted jurisdictions, Austrian BMF: Tax treatment of crypto-assets (updated 1 January 2026), KPMG Austria: DAC8: information exchange on crypto-assets (April 2026), checked 18 Oct 2026.

Platform availability

Explore which exchanges and prediction markets are available in Austria.

Platform	Type	Spot	Derivatives	Staking	Status	Last verified
Aster	DeFi	Available	Available	Available	Available	17 Oct 2026
Binance	Exchange	Limited	Limited	Limited	Limited	28 Sep 2026
Bitfinex	Exchange	Limited	Limited	Limited	Limited	17 Oct 2026
Bitget	Exchange	Restricted	Restricted	–	Restricted	20 Oct 2026
Bitstamp	Exchange	Available	Available	Available	Available	17 Oct 2026
Bybit	Exchange	Available	Limited	Limited	Limited	17 Oct 2026
Coinbase	Exchange	Available	Available	Available	Available	17 Oct 2026
Crypto.com	Exchange	Available	Restricted	–	Limited	17 Oct 2026
Gate	Exchange	Available	Restricted	–	Limited	17 Oct 2026
Gemini	Exchange	Restricted	Restricted	Restricted	Restricted	17 Oct 2026
HTX	Exchange	Restricted	Restricted	Restricted	Restricted	20 Oct 2026
Hyperliquid	DeFi	Available	Available	Available	Available	17 Oct 2026
Jupiter	DeFi	Available	Available	Available	Available	17 Oct 2026
Kalshi	Prediction market	–	–	–	Available	17 Oct 2026
Kraken	Exchange	Available	Available	Available	Available	17 Oct 2026
KuCoin	Exchange	Limited	Limited	–	Limited	16 Oct 2026
Lighter	DeFi	Available	Available	Available	Available	17 Oct 2026
MEXC	Exchange	Limited	Limited	–	Limited	17 Oct 2026
OKX	Exchange	Available	Available	Available	Available	16 Oct 2026
PancakeSwap	DeFi	Available	Available	Available	Available	17 Oct 2026
Polymarket	Prediction market	–	–	–	Available	17 Oct 2026
Uniswap	DeFi	Available	–	–	Available	17 Oct 2026