Hungary repealed extra crypto rules, but Bitvavo and Revolut guidance still diverges
In brief
- Act XXXVIII of 2026, effective Aug. 7, repealed Hungary's crypto conversion validation requirement.
- European Commission opened an infringement procedure under MiCA on Jan. 30.
- Bitvavo announced Hungarian trading was returning, reopening new registrations Sept. 7.
- Revolut's Hungarian help page still described a crypto shutdown when CryptoSlate checked Nov. 13.
- Support pages show what companies published, not confirmed service access, CryptoSlate said.
What Hungary added, then dropped
In 2025, amendments to Hungary's crypto legislation added a requirement to validate crypto conversions, backed by criminal penalties. Revolut told customers to sell their crypto by Dec. 18, 2025, and said it would automatically sell any remaining holdings and close their crypto accounts.
Brussels pushed back. On Jan. 30, the European Commission opened an infringement procedure, arguing MiCA gave Hungary no basis for the extra authorization regime (it acknowledged Hungary's interest in preventing money laundering, but said any measures had to comply with EU law).
Hungary repealed the requirement before a court ruled on the dispute.
Act XXXVIII of 2026 took effect on Aug. 7, and its official explanatory memorandum acknowledged the requirement was incompatible with EU crypto regulation, according to CryptoSlate. MiCA's maximum transitional period had already ended on July 1, 2026.
What the apps told customers
Bitvavo announced that trading and euro deposits were returning for Hungarian customers, with new registrations reopening on Sept. 7. Its reopening notice and country payment page both listed services for Hungary. Its general eligibility page, updated on Nov. 4, didn't list Hungary among supported countries.
Revolut's page read differently. When CryptoSlate checked on Nov. 13, the Hungarian help page still described the crypto shutdown and account closures tied to the December 2025 deadline. That's despite Revolut's crypto subsidiary receiving MiCA authorization in Cyprus in October 2025, with France's financial regulator listing it as authorized to offer crypto services in France.
It's worth being precise. Support pages can outlive the restrictions they describe, and CryptoSlate said verifying actual access would take an account or a transaction test, which it didn't run.
A passport with local differences
On paper, the passport's simple. Under MiCA Article 59(7), an authorized company can offer its approved services elsewhere in the EU without opening a local office; Article 65 lets it start once it gets confirmation its information was sent to the relevant authorities, or no later than 15 days after submitting it.
Funding still varies by country. Coinbase's European payment guide, as reported by CryptoSlate, lists Easy Bank Transfer for cash deposits in the Netherlands, Finland, France, Germany and Ireland, plus card deposits in the Netherlands, Italy and Spain. Polish customers can use BLIK to buy crypto directly.
The EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) leaves room for some of those differences and sets limits on others.
That's how CryptoSlate's Andjela Radmilac framed it.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Hungary repeal its extra crypto requirement?
The European Commission opened an infringement procedure on Jan. 30, arguing MiCA gave Hungary no basis for the extra authorization regime. Hungary repealed the requirement before a court ruled, and the explanatory memorandum for Act XXXVIII of 2026 acknowledged it was incompatible with EU crypto regulation.
How does the MiCA passport let crypto firms operate across the EU?
Under MiCA Article 59(7), an authorized company can offer its approved services elsewhere in the EU without opening a local office. Article 65 lets it begin once it receives confirmation its information was sent to the relevant authorities, or no later than 15 days after submitting it.
Do support pages show whether Hungarians can actually trade on Revolut or Bitvavo?
Not on their own. CryptoSlate noted that support pages can outlive the restrictions they describe, and verifying actual access would require an account or transaction test. The pages show what each company published.
