Bitpanda fined €70,000 by Austrian regulator for MiCA breaches

Austria’s Financial Market Authority (FMA) has imposed a €70,000 fine on Bitpanda GmbH for violating the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). This marks the first published final penalty issued by the FMA under the new regulatory framework.

The regulator identified several compliance failures regarding crypto-asset white papers and marketing communications. Specifically, Bitpanda failed to submit a required white paper at least 20 working days before its publication and distributed marketing materials before the document was made public. Additionally, the company’s marketing communications lacked mandatory disclosures, such as a statement that the white paper had not been reviewed by a competent authority and the omission of necessary contact details like telephone numbers and email addresses.

Bitpanda stated that the issues were limited to formal timing and documentation requirements and emphasized that customer funds and platform security were not affected. The company has since corrected the identified problems. The FMA noted that while this is the first published case, it does not imply the breaches are uniquely significant, but rather signals the transition of MiCA from a licensing phase into active enforcement.