BaFin denies MiCAR license to Bitcoin Group SE’s futurum bank, leaving bitcoin.de in limbo

Germany’s financial watchdog has said no. BaFin refused to grant MiCAR authorization to futurum bank AG, the subsidiary of Bitcoin Group SE that powers the bitcoin.de trading platform, according to a company announcement on October 6, 2026. The application had been sitting with the regulator since June 27, 2025. That is more than 15 months of waiting, only to be shown the door. The rejection lands on a platform that was already mostly dark. Trading on bitcoin.de has been largely suspended since June 12, 2026, so the refusal turns a temporary pause into something closer to a structural problem. What BaFin’s refusal actually means Futurum bank AG already holds a banking license. That turned out not to be enough. The bank still needed a separate MiCAR authorization to offer crypto services, and that is the piece BaFin declined to hand over. The refusal also marks the end of BaFin’s earlier tolerance of the subsidiary’s crypto services. CEO Moritz Eckert called the decision a blow. He also said the company had prepared for the possibility of a refusal and is pursuing alternatives. Bitcoin Group SE stock fell by approximately 3-5% on the day of the announcement. The numbers behind the p...