The EU Inc. (European Incorporated Company) is a new pan-European company form proposed by the European Commission under Regulation COM(2026) 320. It allows entrepreneurs to incorporate a company valid across all 27 EU member states, entirely online, in 48 hours, for under €100.

When will the EU Inc. be available?

The regulation was proposed on March 18, 2026. It is currently being reviewed by the European Parliament and Council. Final adoption is expected in 2027, with the first EU Inc. companies possible by 2028.

How much does it cost to create an EU Inc.?

The maximum registration fee is capped at €100, with zero minimum capital requirement. This makes it the most affordable company form in Europe and possibly the world.

Is the EU Inc. valid in all EU countries?

Yes. Once registered, an EU Inc. is automatically recognized in all 27 EU member states without any need for re-registration or additional procedures.

Do I need a notary to create an EU Inc.?

No. The entire process is digital. Identity verification is done online, replacing traditional notarization. You can incorporate from anywhere with an internet connection.

What is Regulation COM(2026) 320?

COM(2026) 320 is the official reference number for the European Commission's legislative proposal establishing the EU Inc. company form. It was published on March 18, 2026.

EU Inc for Crypto and Web3: A European Base for Digital Assets

Crypto's Corporate Structure Problem

The crypto and Web3 industry has long struggled with a fundamental corporate structure problem. Many of the most innovative projects in decentralized finance, NFTs, and blockchain infrastructure have been forced to incorporate in jurisdictions like the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, or Panama — not because these jurisdictions offer superior technology ecosystems, but because traditional European company law simply cannot accommodate the unique governance structures that Web3 projects require.

The EU Inc proposal aims to change this by offering a European corporate form specifically designed to accommodate the needs of the digital asset industry while maintaining the regulatory credibility that institutional investors and enterprise partners demand.

MiCA Compatibility Built In

The Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, which came into full effect in 2025, established the world's most comprehensive regulatory framework for crypto assets. However, MiCA created an unexpected challenge: while it provided regulatory clarity for crypto assets, the underlying company law in most EU member states remained ill-suited for Web3 businesses.

EU Inc addresses this gap by incorporating MiCA compliance requirements directly into the corporate structure:

Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) registration integrated into the EU Inc formation process
Reserve and liquidity requirements for stablecoin issuers mapped to EU Inc capital structure provisions
White paper publication requirements facilitated through the EU Inc unified register
Ongoing compliance reporting aligned with EU Inc annual filing obligations

Tokenized Shares: A Game Changer

Perhaps the most revolutionary aspect of EU Inc for the crypto industry is the explicit provision for tokenized share issuance. Under the proposed framework, an EU Inc company can issue shares as digital tokens on distributed ledger technology, with these tokenized shares having the same legal validity as traditional paper or book-entry shares.

This enables:

Programmable equity — shares that automatically execute dividend distributions, voting rights, and transfer restrictions through smart contracts
Fractional ownership — enabling investment in EU Inc companies at any denomination
24/7 transferability — shares can be traded at any time, not limited by stock exchange hours
Global accessibility — investors worldwide can hold EU Inc shares through compatible wallets
Automated compliance — transfer restrictions, KYC requirements, and regulatory holds can be encoded into the token itself

"Tokenized shares under EU Inc are not just a crypto novelty — they represent the future of corporate equity. Within a decade, I expect the majority of new company formations to use token-based share structures," predicts Dr. Philipp Sandner, head of the Frankfurt School Blockchain Center.

DAO Structures Within EU Inc

One of the most anticipated features is the ability to create Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) structures within the EU Inc framework. The proposal includes a special governance module that allows:

Token-based voting — governance decisions made through on-chain voting mechanisms
Multi-sig treasury management — company funds controlled by multiple signatories through smart contracts
Delegated governance — token holders can delegate their voting power to representatives
Hybrid structures — combining traditional board governance with DAO elements for different decision categories

Crucially, the EU Inc DAO module provides legal personality and limited liability — something that purely on-chain DAOs typically cannot offer. This resolves the legal uncertainty that has plagued DAO participants, who under current law may be considered partners in a general partnership with unlimited personal liability.

Regulatory Clarity for DeFi

Decentralized Finance (DeFi) protocols face particular challenges because they often operate without a traditional corporate entity. The EU Inc framework provides a pathway for DeFi projects to establish a legal entity that:

Holds the intellectual property rights to the protocol
Manages the treasury and development funding
Interacts with regulators and financial institutions
Provides a legal point of contact for users and counterparties
Maintains compliance with anti-money laundering regulations

The Competitive Landscape

EU Inc's crypto-friendly features put Europe in direct competition with other jurisdictions that have been courting the Web3 industry:

Wyoming (US) — DAO LLC legislation, but limited to one US state
Switzerland — Crypto Valley in Zug, but not part of the EU single market
Singapore — favorable tax treatment, but increasing regulatory tightening
UAE (Dubai/Abu Dhabi) — free zone benefits, but questions about long-term regulatory stability

EU Inc offers something none of these can match: access to a 450-million consumer market with a comprehensive regulatory framework that provides both flexibility and credibility.

Concerns and Safeguards

The integration of crypto features into EU Inc is not without controversy. Financial regulators, including the European Central Bank, have expressed concerns about:

Money laundering risks — tokenized shares could potentially be used to obscure beneficial ownership
Market manipulation — 24/7 trading of tokenized shares could enable new forms of manipulation
Consumer protection — retail investors may not fully understand the risks of tokenized equity
Systemic risk — large-scale adoption could create new interconnections between crypto and traditional finance

The proposal addresses these through mandatory AML/KYC controls embedded in tokenized shares, circuit breakers for extreme price movements, and enhanced disclosure requirements for retail-facing offerings.

Looking Forward

The EU Inc framework's crypto and Web3 provisions represent a bold bet that the future of corporate structures will be digital. By providing legal certainty, regulatory compliance, and market access, EU Inc could reverse the offshore trend and bring Web3 companies home to Europe. For an industry that has long operated in regulatory gray zones, the promise of a legitimate, comprehensive European framework could be transformative.