BNY Mellon and BitPay Secure MiCA Licenses as EU Crypto Registrations Reach 309

The European Union's regulatory framework for digital assets continues to solidify as the ESMA updated its register of crypto-asset service providers (CASPs), adding major institutional players including a Belgian unit of BNY Mellon and the cryptocurrency payments firm BitPay. The new entries bring the total number of officially licensed CASPs under the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation to 309.

The inclusion of BNY Mellon's Belgian entity marks a significant milestone for MiCA, as it signals the entry of one of the world's largest custodian banks into the regulated European crypto ecosystem. BNY Mellon has been gradually expanding its digital asset services, and securing a MiCA license allows it to offer crypto custody and trading services across the 27-member bloc under a single, harmonized regulatory framework.

The ESMA registry now lists 309 entities that have successfully navigated the application process. This number has grown steadily since MiCA's implementation began in 2023, with the full application of the rules taking effect in December 2024.