CoinTelegraph
ESMA added 14 new crypto firms to its MiCA register, including Ripple Payments Europe, bringing the total number of licensed crypto-asset service providers in the EU to 294. The cohort signals continued institutional buy-in to the bloc's harmonised crypto regime, less than a year after MiCA's stablecoin and CASPs provisions fully took effect.
Why it matters
The register is the operational entry point for any firm wanting to passport crypto services across all 27 EU member states under a single license. Each addition reduces the friction for institutional counterparties that would otherwise need separate authorisations in each jurisdiction they touch. Ripple Payments Europe landing on the list gives the payments-focused arm of the Ripple stack a clean lane into the bloc at a moment when stablecoin and remittance corridors are the most watched compliance perimeter in crypto.
Market impact
MiCA has matured from a headline framework into the working baseline for European crypto distribution. The 294 figure understates the pipeline: national competent authorities continue to process applications, and ESMA has moved to suppress the CASP-authorisation backlog several times this year. For US firms weighing transatlantic strategy, the EU register is now the clearest read on where European compliance costs are landing.
Frequently asked questions
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What is ESMA's MiCA register?
It is the EU's public list of crypto-asset service providers authorised under the Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, allowing them to passport services across all 27 member states under one license.
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Why does Ripple Payments Europe being added matter?
It gives Ripple's payments arm a clean single-license lane to offer crypto and stablecoin services across the entire EU, removing the need for separate national authorisations.
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How many crypto firms are now MiCA-licensed?
ESMA's latest update brings the total to 294 licensed crypto-asset service providers in the EU.
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What MiCA provisions are now fully in force?
The CASP rules and stablecoin requirements under MiCA have fully taken effect, less than a year before this latest expansion of the register.
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Does the 294 count include pending applications?
No, the 294 figure reflects only firms that have completed authorisation. National regulators continue processing additional applications in parallel.
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