MiCA Licensing Accelerates as 14 More Crypto Firms Gain ESMA Approval

TLDR

• ESMA approves 14 more crypto firms as MiCA licensing grows across Europe’s regulated digital asset market
• Ripple Payments Europe joins ESMA’s MiCA register as new approvals reshape Europe’s crypto landscape
• European banks increase crypto presence after ESMA adds more MiCA-authorized service providers
• MiCA framework expands as ESMA records continued growth in licensed crypto companies
• ESMA’s latest update highlights rising participation from banks and crypto firms across Europe’s market

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) added 14 crypto firms to its MiCA register in the latest licensing update. Consequently, ESMA increased the total number of authorized crypto-asset service providers to 294 across Europe. Moreover, the update showed that ESMA continues expanding the regulated digital asset market after the MiCA transition period ended.

ESMA Adds 14 Firms as MiCA Register Continues to Grow

ESMA published the latest interim MiCA register after approving 14 additional crypto-asset service providers across several European jurisdictions. Consequently, the register now lists 294 authorized entities that can operate under the Markets in Crypto-Assets framework. The latest additions followed an earlier update that introduced 37 licensed firms after the July transition deadline.

The newly authorized companies include Ripple Payments Europe, Portugal-based Bison Bank, and Croatia’s state-owned Hrvatska poštanska banka. Germany contributed Volksbank Schwarzwald-Donau-Neckar and Raiffeisenbank Auerbach-Freihung to the growing register. Liechtenstein-based Kaiser Partner Privatbank also joined the list with authorization to provide regulated crypto services.

The latest approvals indicate that ESMA continues processing applications after the grandfathering period expired on July 1. Previously, the register contained about 244 authorized providers before the transition deadline. Since then, ESMA has approved 51 additional firms through successive weekly updates, reflecting continued regulatory activity instead of a fixed market structure.

Ripple and Traditional Banks Expand Their MiCA Presence

Ripple Payments Europe secured a place in the register after receiving authorization through Luxembourg’s financial regulator. Consequently, the approval supports the company’s regulated payment operations across European Economic Area member states under MiCA passporting rules. Luxembourg continues attracting major digital asset firms seeking regulatory certainty within Europe.

The register also highlights the growing participation of traditional banking institutions in regulated crypto services. Germany added more cooperative banks, while Portugal and Croatia expanded banking representation through newly approved institutions. Private banking groups continue entering the market as regulatory requirements become more established across Europe.

Several established financial institutions already appear in the ESMA register through earlier approvals. These include BBVA, CaixaBank, Commerzbank, CACEIS Bank, and Standard Chartered Luxembourg. Therefore, ESMA continues overseeing a broader mix of crypto-native firms and conventional financial institutions operating under one regulatory framework.

ESMA Maintains Stablecoin Registers While Market Structure Evolves

ESMA reported no changes to the registers covering electronic money tokens or asset-referenced tokens during the latest update. Therefore, the electronic money token register continues listing 21 approved issuers across the European market. The asset-referenced token register still contains no authorized issuers under the current framework.

The expanding register also identifies firms that can legally provide crypto services throughout the European Economic Area. Coinbase, Kraken, Crypto.com, Bitstamp, Bitpanda, Gemini, Bybit, KuCoin, Robinhood Europe and several other firms remain authorized. Binance does not appear in the current ESMA register after withdrawing its Greek licensing application earlier this year.

The register also records authorization withdrawals instead of removing companies from public records. For example, Cyprus-based Stratos Europe carries an authorization end date, while Dutch firm Decubate requested voluntary revocation. ESMA maintains a transparent licensing history while continuing weekly updates as national regulators approve additional crypto service providers.