ESMA Expands MiCA Register to 294 Providers Amid Slower Licensing Pace
Europe's securities watchdog added 14 new crypto firms to its MiCA register, including Ripple Payments Europe, as overall licensing momentum shows signs of slowing.
The European Securities and Markets Authority has added 14 new crypto asset service providers to its Markets in Crypto-Assets register, pushing the total number of authorized firms operating under the landmark EU regulatory framework to 294. The latest batch of entrants includes Ripple Payments Europe alongside traditional banking institutions, signaling a broadening of the participant base beyond pure-play crypto firms.
The inclusion of banks in the newest cohort is analytically significant. Legacy financial institutions entering the MiCA framework suggests that established lenders are beginning to treat regulated crypto services as a viable product line rather than a peripheral experiment — a shift that could reshape competitive dynamics within the European digital asset market over the medium term.
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Ripple's European payments arm securing a spot on the register is equally noteworthy. The company has long sought regulatory legitimacy in major markets, and formal recognition under MiCA positions its European entity to offer compliant services across EU member states without needing separate national licenses — one of the framework's most commercially attractive features for cross-border operators.
Yet the headline figure of 294 registered CASPs comes with an important caveat: ESMA's own framing points to a deceleration in licensing activity. A slower pace of approvals could reflect several pressures — stricter compliance thresholds as regulators mature their review processes, a natural exhaustion of the earliest applicant wave, or firms reconsidering market-entry costs in a tighter environment for crypto revenue.
For market observers, the MiCA register remains the clearest real-time indicator of how the European crypto industry is consolidating under formal oversight. The mix of fintechs, banks, and global crypto firms now on the list reflects both the framework's ambition and the uneven speed at which different types of institutions can navigate regulatory scrutiny. Continue reading at Cointelegraph.
