The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has expanded its official Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) registry by adding 15 new Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASPs), bringing the t
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has expanded its official Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) registry by adding 15 new Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASPs), bringing the total number of registered providers to 309.
Among the newly included providers are the Belgian subsidiary of BNY Mellon, one of the world’s largest custodial banks, and BitPay, a leading global crypto payments firm. Their registrations mark significant steps for both traditional finance and crypto payments under the EU’s MiCA framework.
BNY Mellon’s entry signals that institutional-grade crypto custody is now formally integrated into the EU’s regulatory structure. BitPay’s inclusion broadens the scope for authorized crypto payment services in the European market.
Other new entrants to the registry include a mix of exchanges, wallet providers, and tokenization platforms, all of which are now regulated through ESMA.
Mini dictionary: ESMA (European Securities and Markets Authority) is the financial regulatory agency of the European Union, responsible for overseeing capital markets and protecting investors in the EU. MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) is the EU’s comprehensive regulatory framework for digital assets and service providers, aimed at harmonizing crypto regulation across all 27 member states.
Registration with ESMA grants legal certainty and passporting rights to CASPs across all 27 EU countries. These passporting rights enable providers to operate seamlessly in every member state without undergoing separate national licensing procedures. This structure is intended to reduce counterparty risk for investors, asset managers, and exchanges seeking compliant venues.
By meeting MiCA’s unified regulatory conditions, developers can access the EU market without the need to navigate a patchwork of national rules. This reduces compliance costs and simplifies the process for launching new products and services in the region.
Legal certainty and passporting rights offered by the ESMA registry are regarded as extremely beneficial, ensuring that investors and institutions face much lower risk when dealing with registered counterparts across the EU.
This expansion reflects a widening role for traditional finance in the European crypto sector. The presence of 309 active CASPs demonstrates the growing importance of compliance and standardization in the industry. Market participants anticipate that MiCA will become increasingly central as enterprises look for regulated solutions in the digital asset ecosystem.
Upcoming priorities for regulators include ESMA’s guidance on stablecoin oversight and strategies for enforcing MiCA compliance beyond national boundaries. Policymakers expect that the central registry will soon serve as a model for similar crypto regulations in other jurisdictions.
ProviderTypeCountryMiCA RegistrationBNY Mellon (Belgium)Custodial BankBelgiumQ2 2024BitPayPayment ProcessorMultiple (EU presence)Q2 2024Other new CASPsExchange, Wallet, TokenizationVarious EU membersQ2 2024With the updated registry, ESMA positions itself as the central authority for digital asset oversight in the EU, shaping the future direction of the cryptocurrency market and contributing to enhanced consumer protection, governance, and reserve management standards.
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