Paying for travel with digital assets has moved from novelty to a normal request. For clients in Europe, 2026 also brought a regulatory milestone: the end of the transition period under MiCA, the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation.
What MiCA is
MiCA has applied in full across the EU since 30 December 2024. It sets common rules for crypto-asset service providers, known as CASPs, including authorisation, safeguarding of client assets and conduct rules. Member states could let existing providers continue under national rules for a transition period of up to 18 months.
What changed in July 2026
That transition period ended EU-wide on 1 July 2026. In June 2026, ESMA set out its expectation that providers without MiCA authorisation must stop providing those services. In Malta, the MFSA wrote to licence holders in June 2026 explaining that the transition expired on 30 June 2026, and that providers without a CASP licence must wind down.
In practice, this means that when you use a crypto service in the EU, it should now be provided by an authorised firm, and the protection applies to the specific authorised entity.
How crypto is being used in travel
PhocusWire reported in 2025 that the booking platform Travala said 78% of its 2024 bookings used crypto, and that hotel groups such as Capella Hotels and Soneva accept it. Leisure travel spending in crypto is still under 1% of the total, according to the same article. Stablecoins are growing fastest: Visa reported a $7 billion annual run rate in stablecoin settlement in its results for the second quarter of its 2026 financial year.
Questions to ask before you pay
- Who is the regulated entity handling the crypto side of the payment, and where is it authorised?
- Which assets and networks are accepted, for example USDC or USDT, and on which chains?
- At what point is the price fixed, and who carries the exchange rate risk?
- What documentation will you receive, and how are refunds handled if plans change?
How we work
We settle bookings for clients in crypto or fiat, and we explain in writing how each payment will be handled before you commit. Our guide to paying for luxury travel in crypto walks through the process step by step.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or investment advice. Sources: AMF/ESMA, 23 June 2026; MFSA Dear CEO letter, 25 June 2026; PhocusWire, 5 August 2025; Payment Expert on Visa Q2 2026 results, 29 April 2026.
