Blockchain.com has obtained a virtual asset service provider (VASP) license from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), enabling the company to offer regulated cryptocurrency custody services in the jurisdiction.

The license was granted on July 22, 2026, according to a Thursday announcement reviewed by Cointelegraph. It followed a conditional approval issued by CIMA in December 2025.

In addition to custody, the authorization permits Blockchain.com to operate crypto-to-fiat and crypto-to-crypto exchange services in the Cayman Islands. The company has maintained a VASP registration in the territory since May 2022.

Regulated custody has become a key competitive differentiator among crypto service providers, particularly for institutional clients that require qualified custodians to safeguard digital assets under compliance mandates. The Cayman Islands, which hosts a large concentration of hedge funds and investment vehicles, has positioned its VASP regime to capture a share of the institutional digital asset market by offering a regulated pathway for firms serving those clients.

Lane Kasselman, co-CEO of Blockchain.com, said the CIMA license builds on the firm's recent regulatory milestones, which include securing a Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) license in Europe and registering with the United Kingdom's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

"We believe strong regulation is essential to the long-term development of digital assets, and these approvals further strengthen our ability to serve customers across the region," Kasselman said.

The MiCA framework, which fully took effect across the European Union in late 2024, established a harmonized regulatory regime for crypto-asset service providers operating in the bloc. The UK's FCA requires crypto businesses to register under anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing rules to operate legally.

CIMA serves as the primary financial regulator of the Cayman Islands, an offshore financial center that has developed a regulatory framework for virtual asset businesses under its Virtual Asset Service Providers regime. Major crypto exchanges including Binance and Bitstamp have previously pursued VASP registrations in the Caribbean jurisdiction, reflecting a broader industry pattern of layering licenses across multiple territories to serve global client bases under local regulatory perimeters.