The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has expanded its register of crypto companies operating under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, adding 37 newly authorized crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) after the bloc’s transitional period ended.
The latest update, published on Friday, brings the total number of MiCA-authorized CASPs across the European Union to 281, up from 244 listed in ESMA’s previous register released on June 26. The additions highlight the continued rollout of MiCA as more firms secure regulatory approval to offer crypto services across the region.
Standard Chartered secures MiCA approval
Among the newly authorized firms is Standard Chartered, which received MiCA authorization from Luxembourg’s financial regulator on June 25. The global banking group also obtained an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license, allowing it to issue electronic money and provide payment services within the European market.
The approvals strengthen Standard Chartered’s digital asset expansion in Europe as it continues to build regulated crypto services for institutional clients. The bank said the licenses complement its recent digital asset custody launches in Asia and the Middle East while helping meet growing demand for regulated crypto products in Europe.
Other notable additions to ESMA’s register include digital asset prime broker FalconX, Sygnum Europe, Ronin EM, and CACEIS, the digital asset arm backed by Crédit Agricole, which was added to the register of electronic money token (EMT) issuers.
Which countries approved the most crypto firms?
Cyprus recorded the highest number of new MiCA approvals in the latest update, authorizing six crypto-asset service providers. France, Italy, and Malta each added five firms, while the Czech Republic and Spain approved four each.
Luxembourg accounted for three new authorizations, followed by the Netherlands with two. Germany, Liechtenstein, and Latvia each added one new CASP.
Despite Cyprus leading this round of approvals, Germany remains the largest MiCA licensing hub in the European Union. The country’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) has now authorized 58 crypto firms, while Cyprus has granted a total of 21 MiCA licenses through the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC).
What else changed in ESMA’s register?
While the number of authorized crypto firms increased, other parts of ESMA’s MiCA register remained unchanged.
The register of asset-referenced tokens (ARTs) still shows no approved issuers, indicating that no projects have yet received authorization under that category. Meanwhile, the list of non-compliant entities remained unchanged at 162.
Meanwhile, Binance recently assured customers across the European Union that their funds remain safe as new regulatory changes under the MiCA framework begin taking effect across the region.
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