The number of licensed crypto-asset service providers (CASPs) under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework in Europe rose by more than a third in less than 2 months after the transition period ended.
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) updated its interim MiCA register, which includes companies authorized to provide crypto-asset services in the EU. As of August 22, 2026, the number of licensed crypto service providers had increased by 87, bringing the total to 331 CASPs.
The MiCA transition period ended on July 1, 2026. Before that date, companies that provided crypto-asset services under national regimes before December 30, 2024, could continue operating in certain jurisdictions without full CASP authorization. The maximum duration of this arrangement was 18 months. Once the period ended, companies without the required authorization had to stop providing the relevant services to clients in the EU.
Immediately before the deadline, the ESMA register listed 244 authorized CASPs. By comparison, more than 3,000 crypto companies operated in Europe before the transition to MiCA. Providers licensed by the end of June accounted for about 83% of crypto trading volume in Europe.
The pace of authorizations accelerated after the transition period ended. By July 16, the number of CASPs in the register reached 294, an increase of about 20% in the first 2 weeks after the deadline. By August 22, the number of authorized providers reached 331.
Germany remained the leader by number of licenses issued. At the end of June, the country had 57 licensed CASPs. By the final third of August, that figure had risen to 79. Germany therefore added 22 licensed crypto companies to the register in 2 months. The top 5 also included:
- France with 35 CASPs;
- the Netherlands with 29 CASPs;
- Cyprus with 26 CASPs;
- Malta with 22 CASPs.
These 5 countries accounted for about 57% of the crypto companies in the ESMA register. Overall, CASPs in 26 EU and EEA jurisdictions received authorization to operate under MiCA.
| Country | Number of CASPs |
| Germany | 79 |
| France | 35 |
| Netherlands | 29 |
| Cyprus | 26 |
| Malta | 22 |
| Spain | 15 |
| Luxembourg | 13 |
| Ireland | 12 |
| Liechtenstein | 12 |
| Austria | 11 |
| Czechia | 11 |
| Latvia | 10 |
| Italy | 9 |
| Denmark | 7 |
| Croatia | 6 |
| Lithuania | 6 |
| Norway | 6 |
| Slovakia | 6 |
| Finland | 5 |
| Bulgaria | 4 |
| Estonia | 3 |
| Slovenia | 3 |
| Belgium | 2 |
| Iceland | 1 |
| Portugal | 1 |
| Sweden | 1 |
MiCA began applying to crypto-asset service providers on December 30, 2024. The regulation standardized authorization and operating requirements for providers in the European market, replacing a fragmented system of national regimes with a single set of EU requirements.
