ESMA expands MiCA register with new CASPs

TLDR

ESMA has just added 14 new crypto asset service providers to the EUs MiCA register, expanding the list of licensed firms to nearly 300.

1. ESMAs latest update brings the MiCA register to 294 licensed CASPs, including Ripple Payments Europe and several traditional banks.
2. MiCA authorization gives these firms EU-wide passporting and leaves unlicensed providers effectively shut out of the European retail crypto market.
3. Users and businesses should now check whether their exchanges and payment providers hold a CASP license and watch for stricter enforcement on non-compliant platforms.

Deep Dive

1. What ESMA Has Just Done

ESMA updated its Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) register on 16 July 2026, adding 14 new crypto asset service providers and lifting the total to 294 licensed CASPs across the EU. The new entries include Ripple Payments Europe, Portugals Bison Bank, Croatias state owned Hrvatska potanska banka, German cooperative banks, and Liechtensteins Kaiser Partner Privatbank, showing more traditional institutions moving into regulated crypto services under MiCA. ESMA also reported that its registers for electronic money tokens and asset referenced tokens are unchanged, with 21 EMT issuers and no approved ART issuers so far, underscoring how narrow the fully regulated stablecoin universe remains in Europe.

2. Why The Expanded Register Matters

MiCAs transitional period ended on 1 July 2026, and ESMAs own figures show that only about 280 of nearly 3,000 previously nationally registered providers secured MiCA licenses by the deadline, meaning most lost legal access to EU customers. A CASP authorization from one national regulator grants passporting rights, so newly listed firms can offer services across the European Economic Area from a single regulatory hub, as highlighted by BitPays Dutch license and EU wide reach from the Netherlands. Payments specialists like BitPay and Triple A, along with Ripples EU payments arm, are positioning themselves to power regulated crypto and stablecoin payments under this common framework.

3. What To Watch Next

ESMA simultaneously expanded its non compliant register following actions by national regulators, with well over 100 entities now flagged, and it has instructed unauthorized providers to stop onboarding clients and wind down services. Industry supervisors are warning that customer migration into licensed platforms brings heavier anti money laundering and compliance demands, especially around stablecoins and cross border transfers. For users and businesses, the practical step is to verify whether their exchange, broker, or payment processor appears on ESMAs MiCA CASP register and to treat non listed or non compliant entities as higher counterparty risk until they obtain authorization or exit the EU market.

Conclusion

ESMAs expansion of the MiCA register confirms that Europes crypto market is moving decisively toward a licensed, passported model where a smaller set of vetted firms serve the entire bloc. This strengthens regulatory clarity and payment infrastructure for compliant providers, while increasing pressure on unlicensed platforms and narrowing options for users who stay with them. Watching who gains or loses CASP status over the coming months will be key to understanding where liquidity, stablecoin usage, and institutional partnerships in the EU will concentrate.