MiCA Register Expands with 14 New Crypto Companies Amid Slower Licensing Pace

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has updated its interim MiCA register to include 14 new crypto companies, bringing the total number of licensed Crypto-Asset Service Providers (CASPs) to 294. This marks a slower pace of licensing compared to the initial surge after the transitional period ended.

The new additions include Ripple Payments Europe, Bison Bank from Portugal, and Hrvatska poštanska banka (HPB) from Croatia. These companies highlight the continued entry of traditional financial institutions into Europe's regulated crypto market.

Germany's Volksbank Schwarzwald-Donau-Neckar and Raiffeisenbank Auerbach-Freihung, as well as Liechtenstein-based Kaiser Partner Privatbank, have also joined the MiCA register. The presence of these private banking groups offering regulated crypto services under MiCA is notable.

Traditional finance institutions continue to deepen their involvement in Europe's regulated crypto market, with dozens of banks listed on the MiCA register, including BBVA and CaixaBank from Spain, Commerzbank from Germany, CACEIS Bank and Standard Chartered Luxembourg from France, among others.