Daw Global Weekly Company Brief: Week Commencing: 23rd June 2026

This piece has been written by Daw Global

Our Experience: iFX EXPO International 2026: Insights by Euan Maskell – Co-Founder & Director

iFX EXPO International 2026 in Limassol, Republic Of Cyprus (Cyprus) brought together more than 6,500 attendees and 200 exhibitors across three days, and for our team the event delivered on the expectations that made it one of the most important dates on the calendar. The concentration of brokers, liquidity providers, payment technology companies and cryptocurrency related entities in one venue meant the quality and commercial relevance of conversations throughout was consistently high.

Cyprus as a location added a dimension that is difficult to replicate elsewhere. Limassol has become one of the most commercially dense environments for the sectors we serve, with a professional services community closely embedded in the broker-dealer and financial services ecosystem. Conversations that happen on the sidelines of an event in that environment carry a different quality from those at larger, more generic industry gatherings.

The team left with a strong pipeline of follow-up discussions and several new relationships that are already progressing. Events like iFX EXPO International 2026 work when the attendee profile matches the commercial focus of the business attending, and this edition demonstrated clearly why Cyprus in June has become a fixed point in the year for anyone operating in the online trading space. We look forward to building on the momentum from Limassol over the coming weeks.

MGA – B2C Gaming Service Licence: Insights by Richard Picton-Turbervill – Co-Founder & Director

The MGA is one of the most established and widely recognised gaming regulators globally, having issued licences since 2001 under a framework that has continued to evolve alongside the industry. The MGA’s B2C Gaming Service Licence, governed under the Gaming Act 2018, authorises operators to offer gambling services directly to players and covers four distinct game types under a single authorisation. Type 1 covers casino games and virtual sports with outcomes determined by a random number generator, Type 2 covers sports betting and fixed odds gaming, Type 3 covers peer-to-peer games including poker and betting exchanges, and Type 4 covers controlled skill games. A single B2C licence can cover multiple game types, allowing operators to expand their offering without applying separately for each vertical.

The Republic Of Malta's EU membership gives MGA licensed operators certain advantages in accessing European markets, although it does not provide unrestricted access to all EU member states, many of which operate their own national licensing regimes. The licence carries a ten year validity period and is subject to ongoing compliance obligations including Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements, responsible gambling standards, player fund segregation and annual compliance audits.

For banking providers, MGA licensed operators represent a client base with clearly defined compliance frameworks. Player fund segregation requirements mean these operators need dedicated account structures that keep player money separate from operational funds, making banking infrastructure a regulated consideration rather than a commercial preference.

MiCA Transition – 1 July 2026 Deadline: Insights by Rafa Menzel – Senior Account Executive

MiCA regulation has been reshaping how cryptocurrency related businesses operate within the European Union (EU), and the transitional period for existing Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) comes to a formal end on 1 July 2026. After this date, only businesses holding a full Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) authorisation will be permitted to operate legally within the EU. VASP registrations do not automatically convert to CASP authorisations, and businesses that have not completed the full authorisation process will be operating outside the permitted framework.

Implementation across EU member states has been uneven throughout the transition, with some jurisdictions moving quickly to enforce the new framework and others taking full advantage of the available window. This has created a varied landscape where businesses at different stages of the process are operating side by side, and where the practical implications of missing the deadline differ depending on jurisdiction.

For cryptocurrency businesses with EU exposure, the priority now is ensuring that CASP authorisation is either in place or at an advanced stage, and that the banking infrastructure aligned to the new framework is ready to support operations from day one. Banking that reflects the compliance expectations of a CASP rather than a VASP registration is not a minor adjustment and leaving it until authorisation is confirmed creates a gap that can delay the start of compliant operations under the new framework.