Standard Chartered secures a MiCA license in Europe! What does this mean for digital assets?

Following the conclusion of the transition period for the European Union’s crypto regulation framework known as MiCA earlier this week, the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has updated its registry. ESMA has approved 37 new licenses for Crypto Asset Service Providers, bringing the total number of registered companies to 280.

Standard Chartered makes its move

Among the newly added entities is Standard Chartered Bank. On Monday, after securing its MiCA license on June 25, the bank announced that it had bolstered its digital asset services in Europe by obtaining both MiCA and Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licenses.

The EMI license grants financial institutions the authority to issue electronic money and offer payment services in addition to crypto activities. Standard Chartered stated that acquiring both MiCA and EMI licenses marks a significant milestone in the expansion of its digital asset operations across Europe.

The bank also emphasized that this step builds on the digital asset custody services it has already launched in Asia and the Middle East. Headquartered in London, Standard Chartered operates internationally and is recognized for its broad corporate banking network across multiple markets.

Other major additions and regional distribution

Beyond Standard Chartered, ESMA’s updated registry now includes crypto-focused firms such as FalconX, Sygnum Europe, and Ronin EM. On the EMI side, CACEIS, a subsidiary of Crédit Agricole, has also been listed.

On a country basis, Cyprus, France, Italy, and Malta each saw six new MiCA approvals, leading the pack. The Czech Republic and Spain added four firms each, Luxembourg registered three, and the Netherlands two. Germany, Liechtenstein, and Latvia welcomed one approved crypto company apiece.

With these new registrations, the total number of Cyprus-authorized Crypto Asset Service Providers (CASPs) has risen to 21. However, Germany’s financial regulator BaFin maintains its lead, having issued a total of 58 MiCA authorizations, making it the top authority within the EU in this domain.

No changes for asset-referenced tokens

Despite the growth in the MiCA registry, ESMA noted that there were no updates to the register for issuers of asset-referenced tokens (ARTs). The agency clarified that there are still no registered ART issuers at this time.

Similarly, no changes were made to the list of non-compliant companies. According to ESMA’s latest data, this list currently stands at 162 entities.

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