Capital markets News

Banks now 20% of MiCAR CASP licensees as CaixaBank joins the list

EU MiCAR CASP bank licenses

CaixaBank has received authorization from Spain’s securities regulator CNMV as a crypto asset service provider (CASP) under the EU’s MiCA Regulation, making it the last of Spain’s big three banks to secure a license. BBVA launched crypto services in July 2025, while Santander’s Openbank went live in Germany in September before expanding to Spain weeks later.

CaixaBank’s license covers crypto custody, order transmission and execution, and client transfers. The bank said it plans to roll out services in the coming months. It already offers bitcoin ETP investment through its digital banking platform and imagin, and is a member of the Qivalis consortium of twelve European banks developing a euro-linked stablecoin.

Of the 177 CASP licenses awarded across the EU so far, 36 have gone to banks. That proportion is unsurprising given the streamlined path MiCAR provides for existing credit institutions. Banks must fully comply with the regulation’s requirements but need only give their regulator 40 days’ notice before commencing services, rather than going through a full application process.

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