Germany Extends EU Crypto Licensing Lead with Six New Bank Approvals

The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) updated its interim Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) register, pushing the total number of authorized providers across the bloc to 331. The latest entrants are exclusively German cooperative institutions: Raiffeisenbank Aidlingen, Ihre Volksbank, VR Bank Mittelfranken Mitte, Volksbank Euskirchen, VR Bank Ried Überwald, and Volksbank Backnang. This expansion puts Germany significantly ahead of its peers, with more than double the authorized providers of France, which holds 35, and the Netherlands, which records 29.

Germany’s rapid growth in this sector is largely attributed to its pre-existing regulatory framework. Before the EU-wide MiCA rules took full effect, German financial authorities had already classified crypto custody as a regulated activity, allowing many local institutions to transition into the new European regime via simplified procedures. BaFin, the country’s financial supervisor, notes that the sheer scale of Germany’s banking sector naturally positions it as a hub for institutions seeking to integrate digital assets into traditional retail services. This is exemplified by the ongoing rollout of crypto trading via DZ Bank, which enables customers to buy and sell digital assets directly through their existing banking relationships without requiring separate exchange accounts.