Ripple wins EU-wide access as ESMA adds it to MiCA register

Share Link copied Ripple Payments Europe has joined 14 other firms in ESMA’s latest MiCA register update, lifting the number of approved crypto asset service providers to 294. Summary ESMA added Ripple Payments Europe and 14 other firms to its MiCA register. Ripple can now provide regulated crypto services across 29 EU countries.

AMLA warned that post-MiCA customer migration could strain compliance systems. ESMA’s updated register identifies Ripple Payments Europe SA as an authorized crypto asset service provider, allowing the company’s European payments unit to offer regulated crypto services across 29 EU countries. The authorization follows Ripple’s earlier approval in Luxembourg under the Markets in Crypto-Assets framework.

According to Ripple, the Luxembourg license permits its European subsidiary to serve financial institutions and businesses throughout the European Economic Area. Combined with its existing electronic money institution license in Luxembourg, the CASP approval gives Ripple permission to provide crypto asset and stablecoin payment services. Ripple has stated that banks, fintech companies, and corporate clients can use one integration to collect funds, exchange assets, and make payments.

You might also like: Augur returns with decentralized layer for disputed prediction markets Ripple gains access as banks enter the MiCA market Alongside Ripple, ESMA added Portugal-based Bison Bank, Croatia’s state-owned Hrvatska poštanska banka, and Liechtenstein-based Kaiser Partner Privatbank to the register. Their inclusion shows that regulated banks are also seeking permission to provide digital asset services under MiCA. Payment processor BitPay has separately secured MiCA authorization from the Dutch financial regulator, according to the original report.

The license allows BitPay to provide crypto and stablecoin payment services across eligible EU markets through MiCA’s passporting system. With the latest additions, ESMA now lists 294 authorized CASPs. Licensing activity has slowed since MiCA’s 18-month transitional period ended on July 1, the report noted, although the register continues to add crypto companies, payment firms, and traditional financial institutions.

MiCA requires companies offering covered crypto services in the bloc to obtain authorization from a national regulator. Once licensed, a provider can use the framework’s passporting rules to operate in other participating European markets without applying for separate approval in each country. Ripple has also received regulatory approval from the UK Financial Conduct Authority, according to the company’s previous announcements.

Its European permissions apply to Ripple’s payment services and infrastructure, including products that may use XRP, the XRP Ledger, or the RLUSD stablecoin, depending on the service and client. The future of regulated digital assets payments in the UK has arrived! 🇬🇧Ripple has officially secured approval of both an EMI license and Cryptoasset Registration from the UK's FCA.

Who better to explain what it means than our UK and Europe Managing Director @CraddockCJ.… pic.twitter.

com/q2xyeJQXEF— Ripple (@Ripple) January 9, 2026 July deadline increases pressure on departing crypto firms Ripple’s entry comes as European regulators monitor customer movements following the end of MiCA’s transition window. Crypto companies that failed to obtain authorization by the applicable deadline must stop offering regulated services in EU markets unless national arrangements provide otherwise. During a briefing before the European Parliament’s Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs, AMLA chair Bruna Szego warned that firms leaving the market could face a sharp rise in withdrawal requests as customers move their assets before services close.

According to Szego, licensed virtual asset service providers receiving those customers may also struggle to process a large number of new accounts while maintaining effective anti-money laundering checks. She called on departing firms to prepare for increased customer activity and urged authorized providers to preserve compliance standards during onboarding. AMLA’s warning places Ripple’s registration within a more demanding phase of MiCA implementation.

While ESMA’s register shows that authorized providers can now serve customers across participating markets, Szego’s comments indicate that regulators expect them to manage incoming business without weakening identity checks, transaction monitoring, or other anti-money laundering controls. Read more: Piero Cipollone rattles Coinbase and Circle with stablecoin warning Load More Best crypto platforms Jul 2026 Deep Dives Feature Read more - The CFTC has one commissioner and all of crypto The CFTC has one commissioner and all of crypto 8 hours ago Feature Read more - XRP is a commodity until the SEC changes its mind XRP is a commodity until the SEC changes its mind 10 hours ago Feature Read more - One year ago today, the House passed CLARITY One y