Aave Labs has become one of the first major decentralized finance (DeFi) entities to achieve authorization under the European Union's new Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation. This approval, granted by the Central Bank of Ireland to its subsidiary, Push Virtual Assets Ireland Limited, allows Aave to offer regulated fiat-to-crypto conversion services across the European Economic Area (EEA).
Key Takeaways
- Regulated Service: The authorization enables Aave Labs' fiat-to-crypto service, called "Push," to facilitate conversions between euros and crypto assets, including the Aave protocol's native stablecoin, GHO.
- Ireland as a Hub: Aave's choice of Ireland for its European operations confirms the country's growing status as a favored hub for compliant on-chain finance under MiCA, following similar authorization secured by the crypto exchange Kraken in June 2025.
- Zero-Fee Offering: Push will provide regulated "on and off-ramps" to GHO and other stablecoins, initially advertising a competitive zero-fee structure, although the permanence of this rate was not specified.
- Impact on DeFi: Aave Labs views this compliant payment infrastructure as foundational for mainstream DeFi adoption, as it provides a predictable and audited pathway that reduces reliance on centralized exchanges (CEXs) for fiat conversions. This is a significant shift, as Aave currently supports tens of billions in stablecoin liquidity and processed over $542 million in volume in the last 24 hours.
The move comes amid surging demand for fiat-pegged crypto, with the total global stablecoin market capitalization surpassing $300 billion in 2025, reaching $312 billion at the time of writing.
November 2025, Cryptoniteuae