EU Crypto License Tracker Launches Searchable Database

August 5, 2025 — The MiCA Crypto Alliance released its MiCA CASP Tracker today, transforming European Securities and Markets Authority authorization data into a searchable directory for crypto users and compliance teams. The tool lets users filter registered crypto firms by country, regulator, and licensed services.

Immediate Details & Direct Quotes

The newly launched tracker pulls publicly available registration information from ESMA’s official Markets in Crypto-Assets register. Users can search for companies by name, Legal Entity Identifier, home country, national regulator, authorization date, and approved service categories.

Ten regulated crypto services appear in the database, covering custody, trading platform operation, crypto-to-fiat exchange, crypto-to-crypto exchange, order execution, token placement, order transmission, advice, portfolio management, and asset transfers.

The MiCA Crypto Alliance emphasized that its tracker functions as an independent research tool rather than an official regulatory database. The organization stated that ESMA’s register remains the authoritative record for verification purposes.

ESMA republishes its interim MiCA register weekly after receiving updates from national competent authorities. The latest available file is dated July 31, 2025.

Market Context & Reaction

The tracker launch follows MiCA’s main transition period ending on July 1. ESMA instructed unauthorized providers to stop accepting new EU clients, opening accounts, and marketing covered services. Firms in wind-down may only take actions needed to transfer assets or close customer positions.

Licensing activity has continued since the deadline. ESMA added BNY’s Belgian unit and 14 other providers in a late-July update, including banks, payment companies, and crypto businesses.

The distinction between the tracker and official records matters because ESMA’s weekly register may not immediately reflect information already held by national regulators. The database can also retain withdrawn authorizations while recording their effective end dates.

Consumers using unauthorized platforms do not receive MiCA safeguards, including protections covering client assets. The Alliance excludes firms operating only under other rules, including businesses handling financial instruments under MiFID.

Background & Historical Context

The MiCA Regulation establishes a comprehensive framework for crypto-asset regulation across the European Union. ESMA currently publishes its interim MiCA register through downloadable files that update weekly.

A company’s appearance in the register does not mean every product it offers falls under MiCA. ESMA has stated that crypto lending and borrowing are not covered by the regulation’s service list.

The July 1 deadline required firms without authorization to secure approval or wind down covered services. This regulatory shift created the need for more accessible verification tools, prompting the MiCA Alliance to develop its searchable tracker.

What This Means

The tracker offers a simplified starting point for verifying crypto service providers in the EU market. Users can quickly determine whether a company appears in ESMA’s register and review which services it may legally provide.

The tool’s effectiveness will depend on how quickly it reflects ESMA’s weekly updates, license withdrawals, and changes to approved services. Users should still complete final checks through ESMA and relevant national regulators.

For compliance teams and due diligence processes, the search and comparison functions could streamline initial screening. Customers can distinguish between firms approved for custody versus those permitted to operate trading platforms or execute client orders.

The next milestones will be ESMA’s continued weekly updates and the tracker’s ability to maintain pace with new authorizations. Market participants should verify authorization status and exact approved services rather than treating a listing as blanket approval.