ESMA's MiCA Register Expands to 280 with 37 New Crypto Firms

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has added 37 new crypto firms to its MiCA register after the EU transition deadline. This brings the total number of licensed crypto service providers in the bloc to 280.

Among the newly approved firms is Standard Chartered, which has secured both a MiCA authorization and an Electronic Money Institution license in Luxembourg. These licenses will enable the bank to offer regulated crypto services in Europe, including custody, token services, and payment-linked digital asset activity.

Cyprus led the latest approval wave with six new crypto-asset service providers, while other countries such as France, Italy, and Malta also added significant numbers of firms. The ESMA register now serves not only as a compliance record but also shapes market access, counterparty checks, and institutional due diligence.

The update also highlights the uneven progress across MiCA categories, with no approved issuers yet in the asset-referenced token register. This indicates that service provider licensing is moving faster than some token issuance approvals.