Following an update to the MiCA provisional register by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the number of authorized crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) across the EU has increased to 331. The six newly added institutions all come from Germany’s cooperative banking system, further extending Germany’s lead in the number of crypto licenses within the EU.
Six new additions, all from Germany.
Compared to the version dated August 12, the six newly added institutions are Raiffeisenbank Aidlingen, Ihre Volksbank, VR Bank Mittelfranken Mitte, Volksbank Euskirchen, VR Bank Ried Überwald, and Volksbank Backnang.
According to the latest registration data, the number of licensed CASPs in Germany has more than doubled that of France. France currently ranks second with 35, followed by the Netherlands with 29.
Continuing to increase after the July transition period ends
The MiCA transitional arrangement ended on July 1, 2026, but license issuance has not slowed. According to ESMA data, the number of valid MiCA licenses in the EU increased from 244 on June 29 to 309 by July 23, and has now further risen to 331.
In a previous update in July, four German institutions were added to the registry, including Raiffeisenbank Falkenstein Wörth, Spar- und Kreditbank Rheinstetten, VR Bank Augsburg Ostallgäu, and JT Technologies. At the same time, the Belgian subsidiary of BNY Mellon also received authorization for crypto custody and transfer services.
Partner banks are beginning to integrate retail cryptocurrency services.
The German cooperative banking system is not only expanding its number of licenses but also advancing cryptocurrency services for retail customers. In July, it was reported that DZ Bank has gradually launched cryptocurrency trading through its cooperative banks, allowing clients to buy and sell digital assets directly within their existing banking relationships without needing to open a separate exchange account.
In January this year, DZ Bank received approval from Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) under the MiCA framework to launch its meinKrypto platform. The service initially supports Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Cardano, with custody provided by Boerse Stuttgart Digital.
This means that some German banks are integrating cryptocurrency trading into their existing financial services rather than fully delegating it to independent crypto platforms.
Germany's leadership is related to its existing regulatory framework.
BaFin previously stated that the higher number of MiCA authorizations in Germany is partly due to the larger size of the country’s financial system and the greater number of credit institutions eligible to provide crypto services.
Another reason is that Germany had already brought crypto custody under regulated financial services before MiCA was fully implemented. For institutions already operating under the national framework, certain applications may qualify for a simplified procedure when transitioning to the EU’s unified rules.
MiCA establishes a unified authorization system across the European Union. Once an entity receives approval from its national competent authority and completes the notification process, it can leverage the “passporting” mechanism to offer related services in other member states.
Additional information: Aside from the continued expansion of the CASP register, other MiCA lists maintained by ESMA have seen minimal changes. The asset reference token register remains empty, the electronic money token register stands at 43 entries, and the list of non-compliant entities remains at 167. ESMA has also shifted its focus from licensing to ongoing supervision of licensed entities, including operational resilience, custody controls, key management, incident response, and third-party service risks.