MiCA Register Hits 280: Europe's Crypto Guest List Just Got a StanChart-Setter

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) on Friday published the first update to its register of crypto companies under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) since the framework's transitional period ended Wednesday, adding 37 licensed crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) and lifting the total count to 280 from 243 in the previous June 26 update. Global banking group Standard Chartered was among the new entrants after securing MiCA authorization from Luxembourg regulators on June 25, and on Monday announced it had also been granted an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license to issue electronic money and provide payment services. "Securing our MiCA and EMI licences is a key step in progressing our digital asset journey in Europe," Standard Chartered's global head of financing, Margaret Harwood-Jones, said. The bank said the approvals build on recent milestones, including the launch of digital asset custody services in Asia and the Middle East, and support growing client demand for regulated access to digital assets in Europe.

Digital asset prime brokerage FalconX, Sygnum Europe and Ronin EM were also among the newly listed CASPs, while the register of electronic money tokens (EMTs) added Crédit Agricole's CACEIS. Cyprus led the latest wave of authorizations with six new CASPs, followed by France, Italy and Malta with five each, the Czech Republic and Spain with four each, Luxembourg with three, the Netherlands with two, and single entries from Germany, Liechtenstein and Latvia. The approvals bring Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) MiCA authorizations to 21, while Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) remains the leading EU authority with 58.

Friday's update included no changes to the register of asset-referenced tokens (ARTs), which continues to show no approved issuers, and the list of non-compliant entities remained at 162. Standard Chartered's MiCA and EMI approvals follow its recent work with Circle to bring USDC minting onto banking rails, underscoring the bank's expanding digital asset footprint in Europe.