Standard Chartered Wins MiCA License as EU Crypto List Hits 280
Two different countries can claim to be leading Europe's crypto licensing race right now, depending on which number you're looking at.
The European Securities and Markets Authority added 37 newly licensed crypto-asset service providers to its MiCA register on Friday. It was the first update since the EU's transitional licensing period closed on July 1.
The total number of authorized providers across the bloc now stands at 280, up from 243 in the previous update on June 26. Standard Chartered was among the most prominent names added, securing both a MiCA authorization and an Electronic Money Institution license through its Luxembourg entity.
Two Leaderboards, Two Different Winners
Look at cumulative totals and Germany leads by a wide margin. It has 57 licensed providers, built up over years of early activity by BaFin, the country's financial regulator, which began licensing crypto custody firms well before MiCA existed.
France follows with 31, the Netherlands with 26, and Malta and Cyprus with 20 each.
But look only at Friday's batch of 37 new arrivals, and the picture flips. Cyprus led the new wave with six approvals, followed by France, Italy and Malta with five each.
Germany, by contrast, added just one new licensed provider in this specific update. The split suggests the smaller Mediterranean jurisdictions are now processing MiCA applications faster than the country that built an early lead under the old national rules.
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What Standard Chartered's Approval Actually Covers
The bank had been operating in Luxembourg under the CSSF's national virtual asset service provider regime since opening its Luxembourg entity in 2025. Full MiCA authorization removes that ceiling.
Standard Chartered now has passporting rights to offer regulated crypto services across all 27 EU member states. The accompanying EMI license lets it issue electronic money and connect digital asset activity directly to payment services.
Laurent Marochini, chief executive of Standard Chartered Luxembourg, said the approval reflected the bank's "strategic choice of Luxembourg" and its collaboration with the CSSF throughout the licensing process. Margaret Harwood-Jones, the bank's global head of financing, separately said securing both licenses was "a key step" in the bank's European digital asset expansion.
The approvals build on custody services Standard Chartered has already launched in Asia and the Middle East.
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The Register's Blind Spot
Not every part of MiCA moved forward in this update. The register of asset-referenced tokens — the category covering major stablecoin-like instruments — remained completely unchanged, with zero approved issuers listed.
The list of non-compliant entities also held steady at 162, unmoved by the deadline that just forced dozens of service providers into compliance. That gap points to a structural fact analysts have been flagging since MiCA's rollout began.
Getting authorized as a service provider is proving far easier than getting a token issuance structure approved. Firms remain cautious about the deeper obligations attached to that side of the framework.
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A Bank Cleared, Users Still Frozen Out
The approval didn't land without friction. One social media user described a Standard Chartered account closure earlier this year, saying the bank cited crypto income as a risk factor and demanded three times the traditional-finance assets to keep the account open.
TheTrendsWire could not independently verify the details of that specific account. But the complaint captures a tension MiCA's next phase may not resolve on its own.
Banks now hold formal licenses to serve crypto businesses across Europe. Their internal retail risk policies still decide whether that access reaches the industry's own participants.
TL;DR
- ESMA's MiCA register grew to 280 licensed crypto firms after adding 37 new entrants on July 3.
- Standard Chartered secured a MiCA license and an Electronic Money Institution license through Luxembourg.
- Germany leads on cumulative licenses (57), but Cyprus led this specific batch with six new approvals.
- The asset-referenced token register remained unchanged, showing slower progress on stablecoin-style approvals.
- A social media complaint about account closures highlights tension between bank licensing and retail crypto-user access.
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Business & Finance Editor
Sarah Collins reports on markets, Wall Street, corporate news, and the global economy. She specializes in making financial news accessible to everyday readers.
