Europe

Luxembourg crypto restrictions and exchange access

Luxembourg's CSSF licenses crypto firms under the EU's MiCA rules, its gambling law is being rewritten, and a private investor's crypto gain is taxed as income when sold within six months.

Available

of 22 platforms

Limited

of 22 platforms

Restricted

of 22 platforms

Regulators

Top exchanges by access score

Last updated 20 Oct 2026

Map of Luxembourg between Belgium, France and Germany with Luxembourg highlighted, beside the 22 tracked platforms grouped by status in Luxembourg: 2 restricted (Gemini, HTX); 8 limited (Binance, Bitfinex, Bitget, Bybit, Crypto.com, Gate, KuCoin, MEXC); 12 available (Aster, Bitstamp, Coinbase, Hyperliquid, Jupiter, Kalshi, Kraken, Lighter, OKX, PancakeSwap, Polymarket, Uniswap). Left: 2 of 22 tracked platforms refuse Luxembourg; 8 are limited; 2 hold a CSSF MiCA licence (Coinbase and Bitstamp); a crypto gain sold within 6 months of buying is taxed as income.

Is crypto legal in Luxembourg?

Yes. We found no ban on buying, holding or trading crypto. What Luxembourg and EU law regulate is who may serve you: every provider needs a MiCA licence from the CSSF or another EU regulator.

The EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) set the licensing rules. A law of 6 February 2025, published in the Official Journal on 10 February, named the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) as the authority for MiCA, and the CSSF now keeps a page for authorised crypto-asset service providers.

MiCA replaced an older CSSF registration of virtual asset service providers, which checked anti-money-laundering controls only. Firms registered on 30 December 2024 could keep operating while they applied for a MiCA licence, and Luxembourg gave them the maximum 18 months, to 1 July 2026, or until the licence was granted or refused. The CSSF’s notice of 2 July 2026 says the period has ended: only authorised providers may serve customers, reverse solicitation is not a reliable workaround, and unauthorised firms must wind down and may no longer onboard clients.

Which crypto exchanges work in Luxembourg?

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

The register is ESMA’s interim MiCA list, last modified on 19 October 2026. Coinbase was authorised through Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. on 20 June 2025 and Bitstamp through Bitstamp Europe S.A. on 15 May 2025, each passported to 30 EEA states. Kraken is served from Ireland.

The same list names 13 firms with Luxembourg as home state, the earliest authorised on 7 February 2025 and the latest on 3 July 2026: Clearstream Banking, Bitstamp Europe, Coinbase Luxembourg, Zodia Custody (Europe), Banking Circle, Swissquote Bank Europe, B2C2 Europe, STOKR, Standard Chartered Luxembourg, bitFlyer Europe, Bridge Building, Ripple Payments Europe and CPS Europe. The CSSF’s own search database is a dynamic page we could not read, so the count rests on ESMA’s list. Gemini holds a Maltese licence that ESMA still lists, but it has closed every EEA account.

Best crypto platforms for Luxembourg residents

By our access score, Bitstamp (9.0 out of 10) is the most open exchange for Luxembourg users, ahead of Coinbase (8.5) and Kraken (8.0), and the six DeFi platforms we track tie at 8.0. Polymarket and Kalshi (8.0) are the open prediction markets.

The score rates how fully a Luxembourg 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 Luxembourg (2) and what our geo-access test saw from a Luxembourg address (1). Platforms that refuse Luxembourg users are not scored. The full method is on our methodology page.

Exchanges

Bitstamp
Best for Spot trading from a CSSF-licensed exchange
9.0/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
1/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Bitstamp Europe S.A. holds a CSSF MiCA licence from 15 May 2025 and a CSSF payment institution licence
- Our test loaded the home page from a Luxembourg address with no barrier
Cons
- Spot-focused: no prediction markets
Read our Bitstamp report
Coinbase
Best for A MiCA-licensed exchange with the widest reach
8.5/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
1/2
Our test
0.5/1
Pros
- Coinbase Luxembourg S.A. holds a CSSF MiCA licence passported across the EEA
- Sign-up opened in our test
Cons
- Our test showed a notice that stocks and prediction markets are not available
Read our Coinbase 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 with no barrier
Cons
- No Luxembourg entity: served from Ireland
Read our Kraken 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 Luxembourg visitors to OKX Europe
Cons
- Served from Malta, not Luxembourg
Read our OKX report
Bybit
Best for Spot trading only
6.9/10
Access
3.5/4
Products
2.4/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Spot is served by Bybit EU GmbH under an Austrian MiCA licence
- 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
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
- Luxembourg 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 Luxembourg users
Cons
- No derivatives on the EU arm
- 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 Luxembourg
8.0/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Luxembourg is not on its restricted-jurisdictions list
- Our test loaded sign-up from a Luxembourg address
Cons
- We found no Luxembourg ruling on prediction markets
Read our Kalshi report
Polymarket
Best for A crypto-based prediction market open to Luxembourg
8.0/10
Access
4/4
Products
3/3
Licences
0/2
Our test
1/1
Pros
- Luxembourg is not on its list of restricted countries
- Our test loaded the home page from a Luxembourg address
Cons
- We found no Luxembourg 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
- Luxembourg is not on its prohibited-jurisdictions list
- The trading app loaded in our test
Cons
- No licence on file for Luxembourg
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 Luxembourg
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
- Luxembourg is not in its terms
- Its app loaded in our test
Cons
- No licence on file for Luxembourg
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
- Luxembourg is not named in its terms
- Its trading app loaded in our test
Cons
- No licence on file for Luxembourg
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 Luxembourg
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 a Luxembourg address
Cons
- No licence on file for Luxembourg
Read our Uniswap report

Which platforms block Luxembourg users?

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

Most exits trace to MiCA. Gemini closed every UK and EEA account on 6 April 2026. Binance has had no MiCA authorisation since 1 July 2026, closing sign-ups, deposits and trading while existing users can withdraw. 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 Luxembourg 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 Luxembourg
HTX	Restricted	Exchange	Its user agreement bars all EU states, and EU sanctions ban dealings with HTX 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 has had trading and deposits suspended since 4 February 2026, and the Austrian FMA still bars it from starting business
MEXC	Limited	Exchange	No MiCA licence; ESMA lists it as non-compliant
Bitget	Limited	Exchange	No MiCA licence: Bitget EU applied to the Austrian FMA on 2 July 2026 and will serve the EU only once authorised
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, 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 Luxembourg

From a Luxembourg 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. HTX, MEXC, Bitget and Bitfinex all loaded although their terms or ESMA’s register say Luxembourg should not be served. The one refusal was Gemini (“Gemini does not currently operate in Luxembourg”). 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 Luxembourg?

The CSSF authorises and supervises crypto firms. The 1977 gambling law, now under revision, is the rulebook for betting, and the tax office (ACD) sets the tax treatment of crypto and receives crypto reports under the EU’s DAC8 rules.

CSSF. The MiCA authority since the law of 6 February 2025. It also kept the older register of virtual asset service providers, which covers anti-money-laundering controls only.
Gambling law. The law of 20 April 1977 governs games of chance and sports betting. Justice Minister Elisabeth Margue filed bill 8679 to amend it on 7 January 2026, aimed at illegal gambling in bars and cafés, and we found no sign it has passed.
ACD. The Administration des contributions directes issues the tax rules in its 2018 circular on virtual currencies and runs the DAC8 reporting, as covered below.

Which crypto products are limited in Luxembourg?

Spot trading is the open product. Derivatives are the narrowest: Bybit, Crypto.com and Gate offer none to Luxembourg 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. Luxembourg is on Crypto.com’s derivatives geo-restrictions list, and Gate’s EU arm has none.
Stocks and prediction markets. Coinbase’s home page showed us a notice that both are not available in our Luxembourg test.
Services without a licence. Since 1 July 2026 an unauthorised firm may only let customers exchange to fiat, move assets to an authorised platform or take them to a self-managed wallet, as the CSSF notice sets out.

Are prediction markets legal in Luxembourg?

Unsettled. Betting is regulated by the 1977 gambling law, but we found no Luxembourg regulator or court that has applied it to prediction markets, and neither Polymarket nor Kalshi restricts Luxembourg.

Luxembourg’s gambling law is in motion. Luxtoday reported on 31 October 2025 that the justice minister had floated a legal monopoly on gambling in favour of the National Lottery, with online gambling treated cautiously and geo-blocking under consideration. Bill 8679 of January 2026 covers illegal gambling in bars and cafés, and the online rules look to be a later step, though we could not confirm that from the bill itself. None of this mentions prediction markets, and our searches found no CSSF, prosecutor or lottery action against Polymarket or Kalshi. Whether a market on an election or a match is gambling here is a legal question we cannot answer for you.

Both large prediction markets accept Luxembourg users in our data. Luxembourg 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 Luxembourg?

The tax office treats crypto as an intangible asset, so a private investor’s gain is taxed as income only when sold within six months of buying, and gains under EUR 500 a year are not taxed. Income tax is progressive, up to 42%.

The ACD’s circular of 26 July 2018 says virtual currencies are not a currency but intangible assets. They are taxable only as business profit or as miscellaneous income. Selling, swapping one crypto for another and paying for goods in crypto each count as a sale, and a gain is speculative when the interval between buying and selling does not exceed six months. The circular taxes only that case, so a gain on a longer holding falls outside it. When coins cannot be told apart the cost is a weighted average, FIFO and LIFO are excluded, and the taxpayer must prove the figures.

The circular’s EUR 500 rule is a threshold: gains are not taxable when the total for the calendar year is below EUR 500. Running an exchange or an ATM, or mining, regularly and on a business footing is taxed as business profit, which also bears municipal business tax. The circular does not cover staking or airdrops, and we found no ACD position on either.

The ACD’s tariff page, updated 17 January 2025 for the 2025 tax year, starts at 0% on income up to EUR 13,230 and tops out at 42% above EUR 234,870. We did not find an official 2026 scale.

Reporting is changing too. EY reports that Parliament voted the law carrying the EU’s DAC8 rules on 19 March 2026, applying from 1 January 2026 with 2026 as the first reporting year, so crypto platforms report users’ transactions to the ACD.

Working out the tax on a Luxembourg crypto saleFor a private person, from the ACD circular

Step	Detail
Count the holding period	Count from the day you bought to the day you sold, swapped or spent; six months or less makes the gain speculative
Work out each gain	Take the euro value at sale less the weighted average cost, and keep the records, since you carry the burden of proof
Check the threshold	If the year’s total speculative gain is below EUR 500, it is not taxed
Add it to your income	Taxable gains join your other income under the progressive scale, which tops out at 42% for 2025

Source: ACD circular, 26 July 2018, checked 19 October 2026.

Sources: CSSF (1: Publication in the Official Journal of the Luxembourg law designating the CSSF as MiCAR competent authority (17 February 2025), 2: MiCA transition period for virtual asset service providers ended on 1 July 2026 (2 July 2026), 3: Crypto-assets service providers (CASPs), 4: Registration of virtual asset service providers), ESMA (1: Interim MiCA register: authorised crypto-asset service providers (CASPS.csv, 19 October 2026), 2: Public statement: the MiCA transitional period ends (June 2026)), Coinbase: Coinbase licences in Europe, Kraken: Where is Kraken licensed or regulated?, 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, Austrian FMA: Granting of authorisation to Bybit EU GmbH, KuCoin: KuCoin EU update (30 June 2026), Bitget: 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, Polymarket: Geographic restrictions, Kalshi: Member agreement, Agefi Luxembourg: Bill 8679 on games of chance (9 January 2026), Luxtoday: Luxembourg is preparing a monopoly on lotteries and casinos (31 October 2025), Administration des contributions directes (1: Circular L.I.R. 14/5 - 99/3 - 99bis/3 of 26 July 2018: virtual currencies, 2: Income tax tariff for individuals (17 January 2025)), EY: Luxembourg implements measures extending automatic exchange of information (23 March 2026), checked 19 Oct 2026.

Platform availability

Explore which exchanges and prediction markets are available in Luxembourg.

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	Limited	Limited	–	Limited	16 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