Ripple Gains EU-wide Crypto Service Authorization as ESMA Expands MiCA Register

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) added Ripple Payments Europe SA to its interim Markets in Crypto‑Assets (MiCA) register, raising the total number of authorized crypto‑asset service providers (CASPs) in the European Economic Area to 294. The inclusion gives Ripple the legal right to offer regulated crypto‑asset and stablecoin payment services across the 29‑30 EU/EEA member states, complementing its existing Luxembourg electronic‑money institution licence.

The latest register update also introduced 14 other firms, including payment processor MoonPay, liquidity providers B2C2 and OSL, and traditional banks such as Portugal’s Bison Bank, Croatia’s Hrvatska poštanska banka and Liechtenstein’s Kaiser Partner Privatbank. The pace of new licences has slowed since the MiCA transitional period ended on 1 July, but the continued additions signal steady regulatory momentum.

In parallel, Swiss‑Liechtenstein firm Paymonade secured a MiCA licence from the Liechtenstein Financial Market Authority, allowing it to provide fiat‑to‑crypto and crypto‑to‑fiat on‑ and off‑ramp services throughout the 30‑state EEA. Paymonade reported an annual transaction volume of about US$1.8 billion and plans to double its European staff, targeting US$6 billion by mid‑2027.

The EU is also reviewing whether DeFi activities such as staking, lending and tokenised assets should fall under the broader MiFID II framework, a move that could increase compliance burdens for on‑chain protocols.