Ripple is expanding its regulatory footprint in Europe after receiving what it described as a preliminary e-money authorization from Luxembourg’s financial regulators.
The blockchain payments company said in a Wednesday announcement shared with Cointelegraph that it had received preliminary approval for its Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license from Luxembourg’s Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF).
Ripple said the step moves it closer to a full authorization, which would allow the company to provide regulated payment services in stablecoins and other digital assets across the European Union under passporting rules, subject to meeting remaining conditions.
“Gaining our preliminary approval is a pivotal step, enabling Ripple to provide essential digital asset infrastructure to our clients across Europe,” said Cassie Craddock, Ripple’s managing director for the UK and Europe.
Ripple’s deep and ongoing commitment to Europe
Ripple’s preliminary EMI approval in Luxembourg was issued in the form of a “green light letter” from the CSSF, marking a key step toward Ripple receiving its full EMI authorization, subject to relevant conditions.
The approval highlights its commitment to Europe, a key region for Ripple, where the company has multiple offices.
“Thanks to the CSSF’s progressive and sophisticated approach to supervision, Luxembourg is establishing itself as a premier hub for financial innovation by providing the harmonised framework and legal certainty that our industry needs,” Craddock said, adding:
“Regulatory clarity is the bedrock of institutional adoption, and by prioritizing MiCA-compliant operations, Ripple is empowering the region’s businesses to lean into the next era of financial innovation.”
Ripple’s MiCA license application in process
Ripple’s regulatory progress in Luxembourg marks its second approval within a week, following EMI and crypto asset business authorizations granted by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority to its local subsidiary, Ripple Markets UK, last Friday.
The company is also pursuing approval under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework. Ripple aims to achieve full MiCA compliance by securing a crypto asset service provider (CASP) license in the coming months.
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The new licenses from the EU and the UK will add to Ripple’s portfolio of more than 75 regulatory authorizations globally, making it one of the most licensed crypto companies worldwide, the company said.
Among those approvals, Ripple holds money transmitter licenses in 43 US states and territories, as well as authorizations in Singapore, Dubai and the Cayman Islands and additional approvals obtained through acquired platforms such as Layer2 Financial and Hidden Road.
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