The European Securities and Markets Authority has added 15 crypto-asset service providers to its MiCA register, with BNY Mellon’s Belgian unit and BitPay among the newly listed names drawing attention across Europe’s regulated crypto sector.
The additions appear in the register maintained by ESMA under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, the bloc’s framework for licensing and supervising firms that offer crypto services. A crypto-asset service provider, or CASP, is a company authorized under MiCA to offer regulated services such as custody, exchange, or the operation of a trading platform for crypto-assets. For related coverage, see Bitwise Adds HYPE to Its Bitwise 10 Crypto Index ETF.
The register functions as the EU’s public record of which firms have been authorized by national regulators to operate under MiCA. Each entry reflects a completed authorization at the member-state level, which is then reflected in the pan-European register that ESMA keeps. For related coverage, see Ether sees leveraged bet as Machi adds $100K to 25x long.
Why BNY Mellon’s Belgian unit and BitPay stand out
Two names anchor this batch. BNY Mellon’s Belgian unit was authorized through Belgium’s national regime, which is tracked in the list of authorised Belgian crypto-asset service providers maintained by the country’s financial regulator, the FSMA.
BitPay, a payments-focused firm, is the other name highlighted in the update. Its inclusion places a well-known crypto payments brand alongside a major traditional-finance institution in the same register batch.
The presence of an established custodian bank and a payments processor is what makes this update more notable than a routine administrative filing. Institutional and payments-related names carry brand recognition that draws reader and market interest, though a register listing confirms authorization status and nothing beyond that.
What the update means for Europe’s compliance landscape
The register is where compliance visibility becomes concrete. A listing signals that a firm has cleared MiCA’s authorization requirements in at least one member state, which matters for counterparties, competitors, and anyone tracking who is cleared to operate in the EU.
This latest batch follows earlier expansions of the register. ESMA previously added 14 crypto firms, including Ripple, in a comparable update, showing a steady cadence of new entrants being recorded. The regulator has also opened a review process for crypto custody providers operating in Europe.
Authorization has not come without friction across the region. Some firms have exited as MiCA compliance costs spurred contraction in parts of the EU crypto market, underscoring that the register reflects both who chose to stay and who cleared the bar.
For readers monitoring the sector, ESMA register additions remain a practical signal of how MiCA is being implemented in practice. This update concerns a specific register expansion rather than any broader reform of the MiCA framework itself.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.
