BNY Mellon Unit Enters MiCA Register as ESMA Adds 15 Providers

European regulators have expanded the public register of crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) operating under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework, adding 15 new firms in the latest ESMA update released after the July 1 transitional deadline.

According to the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), the interim MiCA register now lists 309 licensed CASPs. The newest entries include several banks, as well as digital asset platforms such as BitPay, Coinify and Bleap.

Key takeaways

• ESMA’s latest MiCA register update adds 15 CASPs, bringing the interim total to 309 licensed providers.
• Banking groups are among the largest new entrants, including BNY SA/NV and multiple German banks.
• Germany and Denmark contributed the most new registrations, with three additions each.
• ESMA reported no changes in other MiCA registers in this update for issuers of ARTs and EMTs, or for crypto asset categories and non-compliant entities.
• Industry concerns persist that compliance costs could pressure smaller firms to exit the market.

ESMA adds 15 CASPs as MiCA roster keeps growing

ESMA’s update, published on Friday, continues the step-by-step buildout of the MiCA licensing pipeline since the July 1 deadline for firms to transition into the regime. MiCA is designed to create the EU’s first unified framework for crypto services, replacing a patchwork of national rules with standardized oversight.

In this third post-deadline register update, ESMA’s interim list for regulated providers increased from prior levels by 15 new CASPs. Among the additions are four banking institutions, including BNY SA/NV—identified in ESMA’s update as the Belgian subsidiary of BNY Mellon.

Where the new registrations came from

The geographic distribution of the new CASPs underscores how MiCA licensing is spreading across member states. ESMA reports that Germany and Denmark led the latest additions, with three newly listed CASPs in each country. Bulgaria and Latvia followed with two new providers each.

Belgium, Cyprus, Liechtenstein, and the Netherlands each recorded one addition in this round, indicating a broader but uneven rollout pattern across Europe.

The German entries include cooperative institutions and a regional bank: Spar-und Kreditbank Rheinstetten, VR-Bank Augsburg-Ostallgäu, and Raiffeisenbank Falkenstein-Wörth. Denmark’s new registrations include SafeLynx Technologies and Januar, described as a digital asset infrastructure company.

Other newly listed providers named in ESMA’s update include Bulgaria’s Altcoins BG and Digital Assist, and Latvia-registered firms Bleap and Nodu Digital. In addition to these regional entities, digital asset platforms also appear among the new CASPs, including BitPay, Coinify and Bleap.

MiCA expansion continues after the July 1 transitional deadline

This update follows ESMA’s second post-deadline register changes, when the regulator added 14 CASPs after July 1. Earlier coverage from Cointelegraph noted that some major industry participants were among those earlier additions, including Ripple Payments Europe.

While the CASP list grew again this time, ESMA said its latest update did not affect other MiCA-related registers. Those include authorized issuers of asset-referenced tokens (ARTs) and e-money tokens (EMTs), as well as registers covering crypto assets and non-compliant entities. For market participants, this distinction matters: the CASP register reflects entities providing regulated services, while token issuer categories are tracked separately.

That separation also helps explain why the MiCA rollout can appear uneven across the ecosystem. Even when service providers reach licensing milestones, the authorization process for token issuers and specific issuer categories may follow different timelines and require different documentation.

Why the growing CASP list matters—and what to watch next

For investors and users, a larger number of MiCA-licensed CASPs can translate into clearer regulatory expectations around custody, exchange services, and other crypto-asset activities—assuming firms comply with ongoing MiCA obligations. For builders and fintech operators, the register’s expansion provides a real-time signal that licensing is progressing beyond announcement stages and into operational authorization.

At the same time, ESMA’s continued additions also highlight that MiCA implementation remains an evolving process. Even after the July 1 transitional deadline, ESMA’s register continues to change as companies complete licensing procedures across different European markets.

Beyond the register itself, the sustainability of compliance requirements remains a live issue. Earlier reporting from Cointelegraph cited Gate Europe CEO Giovanni Cunti warning that the cost of maintaining a MiCA license could weigh on smaller firms, potentially making it harder for them to keep up with compliance resources over the long term.

As ESMA publishes further updates, market participants should monitor not only how quickly the CASP roster expands, but also whether changes begin to appear in the token issuer registers—ARTs, EMTs, and other crypto asset categories. That shift would indicate MiCA’s next phase is moving beyond service providers into a broader portion of the crypto value chain.