Digital Securities Law Group - 60 Broad St Ste 2510-b, New York, NY 10004, United States
Shipkevich PLLC - 165 Broadway #2300, New York, NY 10006, United States
Kelman PLLC - 1441 Broadway 6th Floor, #6079, New York, NY 10018, United States
Crypto Law Hub - Cryptocurrency Attorneys - 125 Park Ave Fl 25, New York, NY 10017, United States
Dilendorf Law Firm PLLC - 115 Broadway 5th floor, New York, NY 10006, United States
Digital Securities Law Group - 114 E 25th St, New York, NY 10010, United States
LWR Law Offices - 2196 3rd Ave Ste 2024, Bronx, NY 10035, United States
Ishimbayev Law Firm, P.C. - 1 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007, United States
SOSNOW & ASSOCIATES PLLC - 20 W 20th St Ste 504, New York, NY 10011, United States
Ross Law Group, PLLC - 1430 Broadway Ste 1804, New York, NY 10018, United States
Andersen PC (finLawyer.com) - 1350 6th Ave, New York, NY 10022, United States
Gouchev Law - 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10111, United States
Yes. For a crypto startup dealing with international licensing, I’d shortlist firms based on whether they can coordinate multiple financial-regulatory regimes rather than just handle U.S. crypto law.
Firms worth interviewing
DLA Piper — A strong fit if you expect to operate across the U.S., EU, UK, Middle East, and/or Asia. Its digital-assets practice covers crypto regulation, securities, commodities, payments, money-transmitter rules and licensing, while its financial-services group has lawyers across major regulatory hubs.
Osborne Clarke — Particularly relevant for EU/MiCA licensing. The firm reports having advised MoonPay and ZBD on obtaining MiCA crypto-asset service-provider licenses and maintains teams across Europe and other major markets.
If you're NYC-based
For a startup that wants a boutique U.S. counsel plus local/international specialists, these are also worth interviewing:
Digital Securities Law Group — NYC boutique focused on blockchain/digital-asset securities, corporate matters and regulatory compliance.
Shipkevich PLLC — Financial-services-focused boutique with fintech/regulatory expertise and offices listed in New York, Miami and London.
For international licensing, don't just ask “Do you do crypto?” Ask them to give you a preliminary view of:
Which jurisdictions they would recommend and why.
Whether your activities require CASP/VASP, money-transmitter, payments, securities, derivatives, custody or other licenses.
Whether an EU MiCA authorization/passporting strategy makes sense for your business.
How they would handle U.S. federal + state licensing alongside foreign regimes.
Their experience with actual license applications, rather than only regulatory opinions.
Who will be the local counsel in each jurisdiction and who coordinates the overall project.
Estimated legal fees and regulator/application costs by jurisdiction.
Whether they can also build the required AML/KYC, compliance, governance and safeguarding framework.
If you tell me what the startup actually does (exchange, wallet/custody, payments, stablecoin, DeFi, token issuance, brokerage, etc.) and the countries you want to operate in, I can narrow this to 3–5 firms specifically suited to that licensing footprint and compare their documented experience.
Navigating international licensing for a crypto startup requires counsel with deep cross-border regulatory expertise, spanning jurisdictions like the US, EU (MiCA), UK (FCA), Singapore (MAS), or the UAE (VARA).
Top-tier global law firms and specialized legal consultants recognized for digital assets and multi-jurisdictional licensing include:
Perkins Coie – Widely considered a pioneer in the blockchain sector, they feature one of the largest dedicated Digital Currency practices, handling cross-border compliance, multi-state money transmission licensure (MSB), and global exchange structuring.
White & Case – Excellent for massive cross-border operations, institutional digital asset trading desks, and navigating complex regulatory frameworks across multiple international financial centers.
Goodwin Procter – Highly regarded for representing high-growth fintech and crypto innovators, with deep benches experienced in dealing with regulatory bodies like the SEC, CFTC, and international equivalents.
Sullivan & Worcester – Noted for specialized fintech, stablecoin development, and international enterprise blockchain structuring under the leadership of recognized digital asset authorities.
Boutique & Regional Tech-Specialized Firms – Depending on target jurisdictions (such as the EU for MiCA compliance or specific offshore hubs like the Cayman Islands or BVI), pairing a global firm with local boutique regulatory consultants listed on platforms like Clutch's Blockchain Law Rankings or vetted via Chambers FinTech Rankings is often the most cost-effective multi-jurisdictional strategy.
To narrow this down, please share:
Your target jurisdictions for licensing (e.g., EU, US, UAE, APAC)
Hogan Lovells — Worth considering for a more complex institutional setup involving digital assets, custody, payments, capital markets, or multiple regulators. Its digital-assets practice explicitly covers jurisdiction selection and regulation of crypto/digital assets, payments, custody and DeFi.
Bird & Bird — Another international option, particularly interesting if your product has a substantial technology/IP + payments + crypto-regulatory component. Its fintech practice covers crypto-related services, AML/sanctions and payments.
Jagelski & Partners — A more specialized option to investigate if your immediate problem is crypto licensing across many jurisdictions. The firm currently advertises VASP/CASP/MiCA authorization work across 50 jurisdictions.
Reviewed by Dimitry Apollonsky · 
