ESMA Adds 37 MiCA-Licensed Crypto Firms After Deadline 

TLDR

• ESMA adds 37 MiCA crypto firms after the EU transition deadline.
• Standard Chartered joins the EU’s regulated crypto company register.
• ESMA’s MiCA register rises to 280 licensed crypto service providers.
• Cyprus leads the latest MiCA approval wave with six new CASPs.
• MiCA shifts from rulemaking to stricter EU crypto market supervision.

ESMA added 37 MiCA-licensed crypto firms after the EU transition period ended. The update raised the bloc’s crypto register to 280 providers. The move signals a shift from rulemaking to direct market supervision.

ESMA Register Expands After MiCA Deadline

ESMA published the first register update after the MiCA transitional period closed on Wednesday. The Friday update added firms that now hold crypto-asset service provider approval. Therefore, the register now gives markets a clearer view of licensed EU operators.

The previous ESMA update, published on June 26, listed 243 crypto-asset service providers. The latest update lifted that number to 280. As a result, 37 more firms entered the EU’s formal crypto oversight system.

The new entries include Standard Chartered, FalconX, Sygnum Europe, and Ronin EM. In addition, the electronic money token register added Crédit Agricole’s CACEIS. However, ESMA did not record new asset-referenced token issuers.

Standard Chartered Gains EU Crypto Footing

Standard Chartered became one of the largest names in the latest ESMA update. Luxembourg regulators granted the bank MiCA authorization on June 25. The approval gives the group a regulated route for crypto services in Europe.

The bank also secured an Electronic Money Institution license in Luxembourg. That license allows electronic money issuance and payment services. Together, the approvals support custody, token services, and payment-linked digital asset activity.

Standard Chartered said the licenses support its wider European digital asset plans. The bank has also expanded digital asset custody services in Asia and the Middle East. MiCA gives it a single framework for regulated EU access.

Cyprus Leads Latest Approval Wave

Cyprus led the latest ESMA register increase with six new crypto-asset service providers. France, Italy, and Malta each added five firms. The Czech Republic and Spain added four providers each.

Luxembourg recorded three new entries, while the Netherlands added two. Germany, Liechtenstein, and Latvia each added one licensed provider. This spread shows how national regulators feed approvals into the shared ESMA register.

Cyprus has now granted 21 MiCA authorizations through its securities regulator. Germany still leads overall with 58 authorizations under BaFin. However, smaller jurisdictions continue to compete through faster and clearer licensing routes.

MiCA Enters A Stricter Market Phase

The latest ESMA update also shows uneven progress across MiCA categories. The asset-referenced token register still has no approved issuers. The list of non-compliant entities remained unchanged at 162.

This gap shows that service provider licensing is moving faster than some token issuance approvals. Exchanges, brokers, custodians, and financial firms now have a clearer path. Yet token issuers still face heavier obligations and slower approval timelines.

The register now works as more than a compliance record. It also shapes market access, counterparty checks, and institutional due diligence. ESMA has turned MiCA into a practical filter for EU crypto activity.