Luxembourg is consolidating its role as a European hub for digital assets. On Tuesday 23 June, Ripple announced that it had obtained an agreement in principle from the Financial Sector Supervisory Commission (CSSF) for its Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) licence under the European Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) Regulation. This preliminary approval, in the form of a ‘Green Light Letter’ and subject to the fulfilment of final conditions, will enable Ripple to roll out its regulated crypto-asset services across the 30 countries of the European Economic Area once the licence has been definitively granted.
For the US group, this regulatory milestone is of strategic importance. Combined with the Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence already obtained in Luxembourg, it will enable European banks, fintechs and businesses to access, via a single integration point, its entire payment infrastructure for crypto-assets and stablecoins. This infrastructure covers the collection, conversion and disbursement of funds, whilst providing a framework that complies with European requirements.
Ripple believes that this dual authorisation will also enable it to gradually expand its activities into other crypto-asset-related services, at a time when financial institutions are stepping up their investment in digital infrastructure.
Blockchain and the large-scale transition
“MiCA has helped to trigger a new wave of institutional adoption of digital assets, and we are seeing this demand accelerate across the region,” says Cassie Craddock, Managing Director for the UK and Europe at Ripple. “Financial market infrastructures are gradually migrating to blockchain, whether for cross-border payments, settlement and delivery, collateral management or tokenised assets. Banks and fintechs are actively developing the capabilities they need to remain competitive. Thanks to our growing European presence, our regulatory expertise and an infrastructure designed for institutional players, we are ready to support this transition on a large scale.”
Once the licence has been definitively granted, Ripple will be fully compliant with the MiCA framework thanks to its combination of Casp and Emi licences. The group highlights that this development comes a few months after it obtained, in January 2026, an electronic money institution licence and was registered as a crypto-asset service provider with the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in the UK. Ripple now states that it holds more than 75 regulatory authorisations worldwide.
A conscious choice
The company has highlighted its choice of Luxembourg as its European regulatory base. “We would like to thank the CSSF for its constructive approach throughout the authorisation process,” said Matthew Osborne, Head of Public Policy for the UK and Europe at Ripple. “Luxembourg has established itself as one of Europe’s leading centres for financial services regulation, combining strong prudential expertise with a clear and proportionate framework for digital assets, making it the natural regulatory home for Ripple’s European operations.”
The group also states that its Ripple Payments platform has processed more than $100 billion in transaction volumes since its launch and is now active in more than 60 markets worldwide. Founded in 2012, the company develops solutions for financial institutions covering international payments, digital asset custody, and liquidity and treasury management, relying in particular on the RLUSD stablecoin and the XRP cryptocurrency.