Socios secures first MiCA licence in sports blockchain sector from MFSA

Malta-based Socios Europe Services Limited (SES), part of The Chiliz Group, has become the first sports-focused platform to secure authorisation under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) Regulation, marking a landmark achievement for both Malta and the wider SportFi ecosystem.

Malta has once again positioned itself at the centre of blockchain innovation after the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) officially granted authorisation to Socios Europe Services Limited (SES) as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider.

The authorisation makes SES the first entity within the sports blockchain space – often referred to as SportFi – to operate under the EU’s MiCA framework, giving the company the ability to offer regulated crypto-asset services across all 27 EU countries.

“This milestone validates our long-term vision of building compliant, sustainable blockchain infrastructure that empowers fans and organisations within Europe and beyond,” said Alex Dreyfus, CEO and Founder of Chiliz. “Together with our MiCA-compliant CHZ whitepaper, it delivers greater transparency and confidence to all ecosystem participants. These regulatory milestones deliver the foundations for the next phase of SportFi growth, as further transparency and regulations help to create an ecosystem that can tokenise real-world assets (RWA) from the sports sector, and democratise access to those assets on-chain.”

By granting SES this licence, the MFSA has enabled the company to provide regulated services such as custody and administration of crypto-assets on behalf of clients, exchange of crypto-assets for funds, placement of crypto-assets, and transfer services.

These services will be available through the Socios.com platform, which is shifting its operations to SES from 1st October 2025 to align fully with MiCA requirements. The transition also includes a new complaints handling procedure and updated legal documentation, which will be accessible through a dedicated Legal Hub on the Socios.com website.

Alongside the licence, Chiliz has published a MiCA-compliant white paper for its native token, CHZ, in accordance with European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) guidelines. White papers for each individual Fan Token are also being registered with ESMA via a notification process through the MFSA.

Building on Malta’s regulatory legacy

This is not the first time Chiliz has worked closely with Maltese regulators. SES was previously authorised under the Virtual Financial Assets (VFA) Act, with other entities within the group also securing registrations in Spain, Italy, and Lithuania.

The move to a MiCA licence represents a continuation of that regulatory-first approach and underlines Malta’s role in shaping the future of digital finance in Europe.

“Securing full MiCA authorisation positions us at the forefront of regulated Web3 innovation in sports and entertainment,” Mr Dreyfus added. “It’s a pivotal moment for our community and partners as we continue to grow our ecosystem.”