Key Highlights
- ESMA added 37 new Crypto-Asset Service Providers to its interim MiCA register after the EU transitional period ended on July 1.
- Standard Chartered was included after securing MiCA and Electronic Money Institution authorisations for its Luxembourg-based digital asset business.
- Crédit Agricole’s CACEIS was added as an Electronic Money Token issuer after launching EURXT, a euro-denominated stablecoin.
The European Securities and Markets Authority has added 37 new Crypto-Asset Service Providers to its interim MiCA register, marking the first major update after the European Union’s MiCA July 1 deadline came into force.
The latest update, dated July 3, brings the total number of authorised CASPs to 280, up from 243 in the previous June 26 register. The newly added firms include Standard Chartered, FalconX, Sygnum Europe and Ronin EM.
The update signals a major shift for Europe’s crypto market, as MiCA has now moved from a transition phase into active enforcement. Firms offering crypto-asset services to EU clients without authorisation are now expected to stop those services or complete an orderly wind-down, a warning ESMA had already issued to unlicensed crypto firms in Europe.
Standard Chartered Joins MiCA Register
Standard Chartered is the biggest name in the latest ESMA update. The global bank said it has received authorisation under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, along with an Electronic Money Institution licence.
The approvals give Standard Chartered a regulated entry point to offer digital asset services from Luxembourg. The bank said Luxembourg will serve as the hub for its European digital asset custody operations, with expansion across the EU subject to regulatory permissions, passporting rules and cross-border marketing restrictions.
The approval also builds on Standard Chartered’s deeper push into crypto custody. The bank had earlier confirmed plans to acquire Zodia Custody’s crypto business, while its custody infrastructure has also been tied to institutional digital asset products in Europe.
Standard Chartered has already been expanding its institutional crypto role through custody and settlement partnerships. The bank was also recently linked to Circle’s bank-led USDC minting service, further showing how major banks are moving stablecoin and custody services into regulated frameworks.
FalconX, Sygnum Europe and Ronin EM Also Added
The latest ESMA register update also includes digital asset prime brokerage FalconX, Sygnum Europe and Ronin EM among the newly listed CASPs. Their inclusion shows that MiCA authorisations are now covering a broader mix of crypto market participants, from institutional brokers to custody and infrastructure firms.
FalconX’s addition is notable because the firm serves institutional crypto clients through trading, liquidity and prime brokerage services. Sygnum Europe’s listing also adds another bank-linked digital asset platform to the regulated EU market.
The July update also shows how national regulators are feeding approvals into ESMA’s central register. MiCA replaced fragmented national crypto registration regimes with a harmonised EU-wide authorisation system, similar to the framework under which firms such as WhiteBIT EU and Conio secured approvals before the deadline.
CACEIS Added as Crédit Agricole Launches EURXT
The update was not limited to crypto service providers. ESMA’s register of Electronic Money Tokens also added CACEIS, the Crédit Agricole asset-servicing arm, after the group launched EURXT, a euro-denominated stablecoin.
CACEIS said EURXT is issued on Ethereum, based on the ERC-20 standard, and backed 1:1 by fiat euro. The firm described the token as an electronic money token compliant with MiCA regulation.
The first issuance was used to settle a subscription to a tokenised Amundi money market fund. The launch connects ESMA’s latest update to a wider push by European banks into regulated stablecoins, after Crédit Agricole’s CACEIS recently introduced its MiCA-compliant EURXT euro stablecoin.
The CACEIS addition gives the MiCA update a wider institutional angle. Europe is not only licensing crypto exchanges and custodians, but also bringing bank-backed euro stablecoins into the regulated framework.
Why the July 1 MiCA Deadline Matters
The July 1 deadline ended the EU’s transitional period from national crypto regimes to the MiCA authorisation framework. From that date, any firm providing crypto-asset services to EU clients without MiCA authorisation must stop those activities.
This has already started reshaping Europe’s crypto market. Ahead of the deadline, several platforms moved to secure approvals, while others faced questions over their ability to continue serving EU users. The pressure was visible in the case of Binance’s MiCA licence concerns and later reports around Binance halting EU services.
Maksym Sakharov, CEO & Co-Founder of WeFi, in a comment on MiCA, said the regulation raises the bar for crypto payment infrastructure in Europe.
“MiCA raises the standard for what crypto payment infrastructure has to deliver in Europe. Speed and digital settlement are no longer enough on their own; providers need stronger controls, clearer user protections, and product experiences that make stablecoin and crypto payments usable beyond crypto-native environments. That is the kind of change that can move the market closer to real adoption.” said Sakharov.
For users, the key point is that MiCA protections apply only to the specific legal entity authorised in the European Union, not to affiliated companies or offshore entities. That means crypto users must check whether the entity serving them appears in the authorised register.
The shift also explains why several platforms are now marketing themselves as safer options for European users. After the deadline, authorised firms can use MiCA compliance as a trust signal, while unlicensed players face restrictions, client migration issues and enforcement risk.
MiCA Moves From Rulebook to Market Filter
The July 3 update shows that MiCA is becoming a market-access filter for crypto firms in Europe. Firms on the register can use authorisation as a regulatory advantage, while unlicensed firms face pressure to exit or restructure their EU operations.
For banks and institutional crypto firms, the latest update is also a sign that Europe’s regulated digital asset market is opening through formal licences rather than informal access. Standard Chartered’s entry through Luxembourg and CACEIS’ euro stablecoin launch show how traditional finance is moving deeper into tokenised finance under MiCA.
The next focus will be how quickly ESMA’s register expands after the transition period, which firms still remain outside the authorised list, and whether more banks move to launch MiCA-compliant custody, stablecoin or tokenisation services in the EU.
Also Read: MiCA’s July 1 Deadline: What It Means for Your Crypto in Europe
