Ripple Expands European Regulatory Footprint with Preliminary EMI Approval in Luxembourg
Ripple, a financial technology company that offers crypto solutions for businesses, today announced its second major regulatory milestone in a week, securing preliminary approval of its Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license from Luxembourg’s Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF). This license represents a significant step in Ripple’s efforts to scale its cross-border payments infrastructure across Europe, and to support institutions there as they move from legacy technology to seamless, real-time, 24/7 payments.
The news that Ripple has received preliminary approval by the CSSF comes on the heels of last week’s announcement that Ripple has been granted its EMI licence and Cryptoasset Registration by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). These new licences from the EU and UK will add to Ripple’s portfolio of more than 75 regulatory licences around the world, making it one of the most licensed crypto companies globally. Few other digital assets companies come close to this level of regulatory oversight, putting Ripple in a strong position to support institutional clients with their digital assets needs.
“The EU was amongst the first major jurisdictions to introduce comprehensive digital assets regulation, which provides the certainty financial institutions need to move blockchain from pilots to commercial scale,” said Monica Long, President at Ripple. “By extending Ripple’s licensing portfolio and evolving our payments solution, we are doing more than just moving money. We are managing the end-to-end flow of value to unlock trillions in dormant capital and moving legacy finance into a digital future.“
Ripple Payments is a licensed, end-to-end cross-border payment solution which enables Ripple to manage the flow of funds on behalf of its customers. This unlocks seamless connections to its global payout partners, delivering fast, transparent, and reliable payout capabilities around the world. Ripple handles the underlying blockchain and operational complexity so businesses can launch digital payment services quickly, without taking on the cost or burden of infrastructure management. Ripple Payments continues to scale globally, reaching more than 90% of daily FX markets and processing over $95 billion in volume to date.
“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,” said Cassie Craddock, Managing Director, UK & Europe at Ripple. “Gaining our preliminary approval is a pivotal step, enabling Ripple to provide essential blockchain infrastructure to clients across the EU. By prioritizing compliant operations, Ripple is empowering the region’s businesses to lean into the next era of financial innovation.”
The preliminary approval, issued in the form of a ‘Green Light Letter’ from the CSSF, marks a key step towards Ripple receiving its full EMI authorisation, subject to relevant conditions. It also underscores the company’s deep and ongoing commitment to Europe, which has long been a key region for Ripple. With offices in London, Dublin, Luxembourg, Geneva, and Reykjavik, Ripple already provides enterprise-grade digital assets solutions to some of Europe’s largest financial institutions.
