coindesk.com
Fintech firm Ripple is expanding its regulatory footprint in Europe after receiving what it described as a preliminary authorization for an e-money license in Luxembourg, a step that could help it scale regulated digital-asset payment services across the European Union.
The blockchain-based payments firm said Luxembourg’s financial regulator, the Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF), has issued an initial approval for an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license.
Ripple characterized the decision as a “green light” toward full authorization, subject to remaining conditions.
If completed, the EMI license would allow Ripple to provide regulated payment services involving stablecoins and other digital assets across the European Union via passporting, using Luxembourg as a base to serve other member states under harmonized rules.
The Luxembourg progress follows regulatory approvals the company said it received in the U.K. last week for its local subsidiary, Ripple Markets UK, covering e-money and crypto-asset activities.
Ripple is also pursuing authorization under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regime, aiming to secure a crypto-asset service provider (CASP) license in the coming months as it shifts operations toward MiCA-compliant offerings.
The firm said the EU and U.K. approvals would add to its broader portfolio of regulatory permissions globally, including U.S. money transmitter licenses and authorizations in jurisdictions such as Singapore and Dubai, alongside additional approvals obtained through acquisitions.