The European crypto landscape continues to mature as Bridge Building, the Luxembourg-based stablecoin infrastructure company recently acquired by Stripe, officially joins the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) register. Following regulatory approval from Luxembourg, the move positions Bridge as a fully regulated provider under the bloc’s comprehensive new cryptocurrency framework.
This inclusion highlights a significant milestone for both Stripe’s broader crypto ambitions and the European stablecoin market. By complying with MiCA’s stringent guidelines, Bridge can now confidently offer its financial infrastructure to European businesses, ensuring a secure and regulated environment for digital asset transactions.
What Bridge’s MiCA Approval Means for the Crypto Market
Bridge’s entry into the register brings the total number of MiCA-authorized electronic money token (EMT) issuers in the European Union to 42. This official listing follows a major announcement made by the company on July 2, when Bridge confirmed it had successfully secured both a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) authorization under MiCA and an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license from Luxembourg’s Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF).
Operating under these licenses allows Bridge to significantly expand its footprint across Europe. According to Bridge’s Head of Product, Mai Leduc Blount, these regulatory green lights empower businesses throughout the EU to build and scale stablecoin and payment products within a safe, legally sound framework. For companies looking to integrate web3 payments without navigating regulatory gray areas, Bridge now offers a fully compliant, enterprise-grade solution backed by Stripe’s vast financial ecosystem.
Growing European Crypto Regulation Under ESMA
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has been rapidly updating its MiCA register to reflect the growing number of compliant crypto entities. In its most recent Wednesday update, ESMA not only confirmed Bridge’s inclusion but also added three new CASP entries from Germany: Volksbank Die Gestalterbank, VBU Volksbank im Unterland, and VR-Bank Erding. These new additions push the total number of authorized CASPs on the EU register to an impressive 324.
Despite the surge in CASP and EMT registrations, the latest ESMA update revealed no changes regarding asset-referenced token (ART) authorizations, leaving the register with zero listed ART issuers for the time being. Additionally, the list of non-compliant crypto asset companies remained completely unchanged. As ESMA continues its trend of frequent updates, the market can expect even greater transparency and structure as more traditional financial institutions and innovative fintechs like Bridge adapt to Europe’s pioneering crypto regulations.
