Bridge's MiCA License Opens EU Stablecoin Issuance to Non-Banks

Bridge, the stablecoin infrastructure company owned by Stripe, has secured both a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) authorization and an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) license in Luxembourg. The dual approval lets it offer regulated stablecoin and euro payment services across all 27 European Union member states under MiCA's single rulebook.

Businesses building on Bridge's platform can issue custom euro-backed stablecoins and create virtual IBANs in customers' names. They can also offer euro accounts that work across the EU without establishing separate banking relationships in each country, the company said. Fintech companies can use the platform to provide named IBANs and cross-border euro accounts through one integration.

“A business in the EU can now issue its own euro stablecoin and pair it with named IBANs and named EUR payouts across all 27 member states, on a single integration,” Mai Leduc Blount, Head of Product at Bridge, said in a statement.

The approvals came days after the European Union completed the final phase of its MiCA transition on July 1. That deadline required regulated crypto platforms to support only compliant stablecoins. Several exchanges, including Coinbase and Kraken, removed USDT trading for European users after Tether chose not to seek MiCA authorization. Binance also implemented MiCA-related service changes.

Bridge joins a small group of MiCA-authorized stablecoin issuers. CACEIS, a European asset servicing firm, also secured MiCA authorization recently. The licenses position Bridge to compete with USDC and other compliant stablecoins in the euro payments market.

For fintech companies and enterprises, the licenses remove the need to build reserve management and regulatory infrastructure themselves. They can use Bridge's platform to issue stablecoins for loyalty programs, rewards systems, or in-app payments. Banks can settle transactions between institutions through stablecoin infrastructure instead of conventional interbank messaging.

The development increases competitive pressure on non-compliant stablecoins like USDT in the EU. It also offers a regulated alternative for businesses that want to issue euro-denominated stablecoins without navigating separate licensing in each member state.

Bridge has been expanding its regulated payments business outside Europe as well. In March, Visa announced it was extending its partnership with Bridge to bring stablecoin-backed Visa cards to more than 100 countries by the end of 2026.