YouHodler Italy Secures MiCA Authorization from CONSOB to Expand Crypto Services Across EU

YouHodler Italy has secured authorization from CONSOB as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) under the European Union’s MiCA regulation. This milestone allows the firm to offer regulated custody and exchange services in Italy, providing a supervised framework for the country’s 1.7 million crypto holders while establishing a foundation for expansion across the Eurozone.

What was announced

YouHodler Italy S.r.l. received official authorization from CONSOB, following consultation with the Bank of Italy, via resolution no. 24156 on 8 October 2026. This license classifies the firm as a crypto-asset service provider (CASP) under Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 (MiCA) and Legislative Decree 129/2024. The authorization is comprehensive, covering five distinct operational areas: the custody and administration of crypto-assets for clients, the exchange of crypto-assets for traditional funds, the exchange of crypto-assets for other digital assets, the execution of orders, and transfer services.

Under this new regulatory status, YouHodler Italy must adhere to strict MiCA-mandated client protections. These include the mandatory segregation of client crypto-assets, rigorous governance and security protocols, the provision of detailed pre-contractual information, and formalized complaints-handling procedures. The company has indicated that it intends to use this Italian authorization as a springboard to extend its services to all 27 EU Member States through the passporting procedures established within the MiCA framework. Throughout the application process, the company was advised by the law firm Lener & Partners, with a team led by Salvatore Luciano Furnari.

The timing of the authorization is significant for the Italian market. Following the end of the MiCA transitional period in June, the number of active operators has seen a dramatic shift. While approximately 140 operators were previously listed on the OAM register, only nine firms were authorized to provide crypto-asset services under the new regime at the close of that period.

"The CONSOB authorisation is the result of long and rigorous work with the authorities, and we thank CONSOB and the Bank of Italy for the care with which they reviewed our project. MiCA has changed the Italian market: at the end of the transitional period, in June, nine firms were authorised to provide crypto-asset services, against some 140 operators that had been on the OAM register, while about 1.7 million Italians hold crypto-assets. Investors are looking for a supervised provider, and banks and institutions for an authorised partner through which to offer these services to their clients. From today, anyone who chooses YouHodler Italy will find a supervised provider, with the rules and protections MiCA sets for the custody and handling of crypto-assets,"

Lorenzo Barbantini Scanni, Chief Business Officer of YouHodler Italy

The companies involved

YouHodler is a Swiss-based fintech platform focused on making crypto-assets accessible and functional for a broad user base. Founded by Ilya Volkov, the brand has expanded its footprint from its Swiss origins to become a prominent player across the European digital asset landscape. The company operates through various regional entities, including YouHodler Italy S.r.l., to meet local regulatory requirements while maintaining a unified brand presence.

The firm occupies a specific niche in the market by bridging traditional finance and digital assets, offering tools for custody, exchange, and asset management. Its entry into the Italian regulated space places it among a small group of early adopters of the MiCA framework. By securing CASP status, YouHodler positions itself as a compliant partner for traditional financial institutions and banks that require authorized intermediaries to offer crypto services to their own retail and institutional clients.

What FF News has reported before

FF News has closely followed YouHodler’s strategic moves to integrate with European payment infrastructure and regulatory bodies. In March 2026, the company partnered with Volt to power real-time top-ups and payouts across the EU, a move designed to harmonize the speed of fiat transactions with digital asset markets. This followed the company’s earlier commitment to regulatory standards when YouHodler joined the MiCA Crypto Alliance in January 2025, an initiative aimed at promoting sustainable and compliant investing practices.

Beyond technical and regulatory milestones, the firm has also sought to increase its brand visibility through high-profile sports marketing. In August 2025, FF News reported that the Swiss-based YouHodler extended its strategic partnership with Torino FC, reinforcing its presence in the Italian market prior to securing its formal CASP authorization.

What this means

The authorization of YouHodler Italy highlights the "great winnowing" currently taking place in the European crypto sector. The drop from 140 OAM-registered operators to just nine MiCA-authorized firms in Italy demonstrates that the regulatory bar has been raised significantly. This consolidation puts immense pressure on smaller or less-capitalized firms that cannot meet the rigorous governance and asset segregation requirements of the new regime. For the wider industry, this move signals that the era of "light-touch" local registries is over. The focus has shifted toward institutional-grade compliance, which is now the prerequisite for any firm wishing to partner with traditional Italian banks or scale across the European Union.