MiCA Crypto Alliance Launches Searchable EU Crypto License Directory

Headline: New MiCA CASP Tracker turns ESMA’s crypto authorisations into a searchable EU licence directory The MiCA Crypto Alliance on Aug. 5 launched the MiCA CASP Tracker, a searchable directory that converts ESMA’s public authorisation data into an easy-to-use tool for crypto users, businesses and compliance teams. The tracker pulls the interim Markets in Crypto-Assets register published by the European Securities and Markets Authority and adds search, filter and comparison features to help people verify which firms are authorised to offer specific crypto services across the EU. What the tracker shows - Company name and Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) - Home country and national regulator - Authorisation date - Approved service categories Why it matters ESMA currently makes its MiCA register available as downloadable files (the most recent release was dated July 31) and republishes updates weekly after national authorities report changes. The tracker layers on functionality that those raw files lack: users can filter by company, country, regulator or authorised service, and compare multiple firms side-by-side. That makes it easier to, for example, distinguish a provider authorised to hold client assets (custody) from one authorised to run a trading platform, execute orders or exchange tokens. What services are regulated under MiCA The MiCA Regulation defines ten regulated crypto services: - Custody - Trading platform operation - Crypto-to-fiat exchange - Crypto-to-crypto exchange - Order execution - Token placement - Order transmission - Advice - Portfolio management - Asset transfers Important caveats - A company’s presence in ESMA’s register (and in the tracker) does not mean every product it offers falls under MiCA. ESMA has clarified that crypto lending and borrowing are not part of MiCA’s listed services. - The MiCA Crypto Alliance excludes firms that operate solely under other rulebooks, including businesses dealing in financial instruments under MiFID. - The Alliance stresses the tracker is an independent research tool based on publicly available ESMA data — not an official regulatory database. ESMA’s register remains the authoritative record. Regulatory context The tracker arrives in the wake of MiCA’s main transition period, which ended July 1. ESMA instructed unauthorised providers to stop onboarding new EU clients, open no new accounts and cease marketing covered services; firms winding down are allowed only to take steps necessary to transfer assets or close positions. ESMA has urged consumers to check providers via its official register, noting that users of unauthorised platforms do not benefit from MiCA’s client-asset protections. Activity since the deadline Licensing activity has continued after July 1. In a late-July update, ESMA added BNY’s Belgian unit plus 14 other providers, spanning banks, payment firms and crypto businesses — demonstrating that approvals are still rolling in. Limits and next steps Because ESMA’s weekly register may lag national regulator records, and because the database can retain withdrawn authorisations (while recording effective end dates), users should confirm authorisation status and the precise services approved rather than treating any listing as blanket approval. The tracker’s utility will largely hinge on how quickly it reflects ESMA’s weekly updates, licence withdrawals and changes to approved services. For now it offers a simpler first stop for verification — but final checks should be completed via ESMA and the relevant national competent authority.