Ripple receives final EMI approval from Luxembourg's CSSF, enabling cross-border payment services across all 27 EU member states.
Ripple has secured full Electronic Money Institution authorization from Luxembourg's financial regulator, marking a major milestone in its European expansion strategy.
Luxembourg's Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF) has granted Ripple full approval as an Electronic Money Institution in the European Union. The company received preliminary approval on January 14, 2026, and has now fulfilled all regulatory requirements to obtain the complete license.
The EMI license allows Ripple to issue and manage electronic money, facilitate payments, and provide cross-border transfer services across all 27 EU member states without needing separate authorization in each country. This brings Ripple's global license count to over 75, following recent approvals in the United Kingdom from the Financial Conduct Authority.
The Luxembourg authorization positions Ripple at the center of European financial infrastructure. Cassie Craddock, Ripple's Managing Director for UK and Europe, called it a "transformative milestone" that will help scale the company's mission of providing compliant blockchain infrastructure to enterprise clients.
Ripple plans to accelerate its Ripple Payments cross-border product for banks, fintechs, and enterprises throughout the EU. The timing is significant as European regulators continue to establish clearer frameworks for digital assets under MiCA implementation, creating a more favorable environment for regulated crypto service providers.
Ripple has been on an aggressive expansion path. In November 2025, the company raised $500 million at a $40 billion valuation from investors including Fortress Investment Group, Citadel Securities, Galaxy Digital, Pantera Capital, and Brevan Howard. In October, it agreed to acquire GTreasury for $1 billion, and in August purchased stablecoin platform Rail for $200 million. The EU license could accelerate these expansion efforts as enterprise adoption of blockchain-based payment rails gains momentum.
This regulatory approval arrives amid continued uncertainty around XRP's legal status in the US, making Europe an increasingly important market for Ripple's growth strategy.
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