About a quarter of crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) registered in the EU under MiCA are banks. Their number in the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) register has roughly doubled since late June 2026.
According to ESMA data, traditional banks are expanding their presence in the European Union’s regulated crypto market. Over the past 3 months, their share of registered CASPs rose from 17% to nearly 23%.
In July 2026, 244 licensed crypto service providers were registered in the EU. In August, that figure increased to 331. From June 26 through September 16, 2026, the total number of registered CASPs rose 44% to 349. Over the same period, the number of banks licensed under MiCA doubled from 40 to 80.
Nonbank companies still account for the majority of participants in the MiCA register. However, their share fell from about 84% to 77% in less than 3 months following the end of the transitional period. As a result, by mid-September, nearly 1 in 4 registered crypto service providers in the EU was a credit institution.
MiCA provides banks with a simplified route to enter the market. Unlike crypto companies, which must obtain standard CASP authorization, credit institutions can begin providing crypto services by submitting the required information to their home regulator at least 40 working days before starting operations. This framework allows banks to add crypto-asset services to their existing businesses and significantly simplifies the MiCA licensing process.
German commercial and cooperative banks have been the most active in securing authorization under MiCA requirements. ESMA’s register includes Deutsche Bank, which plans to launch digital asset custody services for institutional and corporate clients in Europe in October 2026. The register also includes a number of institutions from the Volksbank, Raiffeisenbank, and VR Bank networks.
The European Parliament approved the MiCA regulation in 2023. Its main requirements took effect on December 30, 2024, while the transitional period for crypto service providers ended on July 1, 2026.
