EU adds 14 firms to MiCA register

TLDR

The EU has added 14 more crypto asset service providers to its MiCA register, expanding the list of firms allowed to offer regulated crypto services across the bloc.

1. The MiCA register now lists 294 providers, including Ripple Payments Europe, Bison Bank, HPB, and other institutions across 10 European countries.
2. MiCA authorization grants passporting rights, letting a single license cover most EU markets and strengthening regulated infrastructure for payments, stablecoins, and custody.
3. Approval pace is slowing while non licensed platforms face shutdowns, so EU users should track which exchanges, brokers, and stablecoins stay MiCA aligned.

Deep Dive

1. What Was Added And Who Benefits

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has recorded 14 new crypto asset service providers (CASPs) in the MiCA register, bringing the total to 294 authorized firms according to recent ESMA coverage.

Notable additions include Ripple Payments Europe, Portugals Bison Bank, Croatias state owned Hrvatska potanska banka, Liechtensteins Kaiser Partner Privatbank, and two German cooperative banks, alongside exchanges and payment processors from 10 countries.

This is ESMAs second major update since the MiCA transitional period ended, following an earlier batch of 37 firms, which shows a steady but slowing stream of new approvals.

2. Why MiCA Registration Matters For Users

MiCA requires any firm offering covered crypto services in the EU to obtain CASP authorization from a national regulator and be listed on ESMAs register. Once approved, they can use passporting to serve most EU markets via a single license, rather than applying country by country, as highlighted in reports on Ripples authorization.

For Ripple, combining CASP status with its electronic money institution license positions it to run regulated crypto and fiat payment rails, and potentially issue its RLUSD stablecoin under MiCAs rule that only banks or electronic money institutions can issue stablecoins. Similar dynamics favor MiCA compliant stablecoins like USDC, while non compliant issuers such as USDT face growing restrictions, pushing exchanges like OKX Europe to offer USDT to USDC conversion routes under tightening MiCA rules.

3. Slowing Approvals And Pressure On Non Compliant Platforms

While the latest update adds 14 firms, that is fewer than the 37 approved immediately after MiCAs transition ended, suggesting early pent up demand is giving way to a more selective, slower licensing pace.

At the same time, the costs of staying outside MiCA are rising. Dutch broker Knaken, for example, failed to obtain a MiCA license, locked users out, and was later declared bankrupt, with millions in customer assets reportedly missing according to Dutch coverage.

Users in the EU who rely on centralized platforms should increasingly treat MiCA registration as a basic safety filter, alongside usual checks on custody, segregation of client assets, and incident history.

Confidence: high because multiple independent regulatory and news sources report consistent firm counts, names, and impacts.

Conclusion

ESMAs addition of 14 firms to the MiCA register continues the EU shift toward a fully licensed crypto market, with Ripple and several banks now able to operate across most of the bloc under a single framework.

For everyday users, the practical impact is gradual but important: services should consolidate around MiCA compliant providers, stablecoin options will be shaped by licensing rules, and unlicensed platforms face mounting pressure that can escalate into shutdowns or bankruptcy if they do not adapt.