The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has added nine crypto-asset service providers to its Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) register, bringing the total number of unique authorised providers to more than 375. ESMA maintains the register of firms authorised to provide crypto-asset services across the European Union, making it the bloc's central public record of which providers are cleared to operate under the framework.

The latest update includes BingX's Austrian entity, MEGE zweite GmbH, and YouHodler's Italian subsidiary. Banco Santander's Openbank was also included, along with the lenders VR-Bank Alb-Blau-Donau and VR Bank im südlichen Franken. Germany dominated the latest round, accounting for more than half of the new entrants — a pattern highlighted in BitKE's July analysis, Germany Leads EU Crypto Licensing as MiCA Approvals Close.

YouHodler Italy is authorised to provide crypto-asset custody, exchange services, order execution and transfers.

Custody has been the dominant service category on the register. In Europe Now Has Over 300 MiCA-Approved Crypto Firms – Custody Services Dominate at ~70%, a BitKE report published two months ago, custody accounted for the majority of licensed virtual asset service providers, with at least 55 bank or bank-branded institutions identified in the register. The inclusion of Banco Santander's Openbank and two VR lenders in the latest round continues that institutional presence. As of that update, only five jurisdictions — Germany, France, the Netherlands, Cyprus and Malta — accounted for more than half of all entities in the dataset.

Notably, the number of non-compliant crypto-asset service providers has also increased, now totalling more than 175 — a figure roughly half the size of the authorised count, and an indication that participation in the regime remains split between firms operating inside the framework and those outside it.

The additions reflect the continued expansion of Europe's regulatory framework for crypto firms. Under MiCA, which applies across the European Union's 27 member states, providers must obtain the relevant authorisations to operate throughout the bloc. That structure means a single national authorisation carries access to the entire single market, so each new entry extends a firm's permitted footprint well beyond its home jurisdiction. Subsequent register updates will show whether custody retains its dominant share, whether the concentration among a handful of jurisdictions persists, and which way the non-compliant count moves.

A related BitKE case study examines Lithuania's example and the impact of MiCA regulations on economic activity.