Kraken secures EMI license in Ireland, VASP registration in Spain

Kraken praised European regulation in its announcement

article-image

salarko/Shutterstock modified by Blockworks

share

Kraken received an EU e-money institution license from the Central Bank of Ireland as well as a virtual assets service provider registration from the Bank of Spain on Tuesday.

As part of the EMI license, Kraken can now expand its EUR fiat services with European bank partners — both in the European Union and the European Economic Area.  

The VASP registration in Spain allows Kraken to offer both exchange and custodial wallet services to Spanish residents. 

On Monday, Coinbase received VASP registration from the Bank of Spain, allowing it to also offer custodial wallet and exchange services. 

“We see a firm foundation for crypto in Europe, which has forward-looking regulation that enables us to grow with confidence. We are grateful for the constructive approach to regulating industry growth set by the Central Bank of Ireland and the Bank of Spain,” Curtis Ting, Kraken’s vice president of global operations, said in a statement emailed to Blockworks.

“In both Ireland and Spain, we are excited to become part of their vibrant local fintech sectors. We also look forward to continuing our investments in Europe more broadly.” 

In April, Kraken announced that its Irish subsidiary, Payward Europe Solutions Limited, registered as a VASP with the Central Bank of Ireland. A few months later, in August, crypto payment company MoonPay also announced its VASP registration in Ireland.

As part of the announcement, Kraken’s Mark Jennings said, “Clear and effective regulation is essential for the mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies.”

Outside of its European expansion, Kraken launched its NFT marketplace in June. The exchange had initially launched a private beta version of the marketplace in October 2022.


Get the news in your inbox. Explore Blockworks newsletters:

Tags

Decoding crypto and the markets. Daily, with Byron Gilliam.

Upcoming Events

Javits Center North | 445 11th Ave

Tues - Thurs, March 24 - 26, 2026

Blockworks’ Digital Asset Summit (DAS) will feature conversations between the builders, allocators, and legislators who will shape the trajectory of the digital asset ecosystem in the US and abroad.

recent research

Unlocked by Template.png

Research

The march toward an interoperable and onchain-by-default internet depends on reliable messaging and value transfer across heterogeneous domains. Crosschain protocols now process >$1.3T in combined annual transfer volume and secure tens of millions of user interactions, yet no single design dominates.

article-image

The goal, per Santiago Santos, is to make crypto a relatable piece of tech for people who may not even understand it

article-image

Stripe stablecoin unit aims to operate under a federal charter enabling regulated stablecoin issuance and custody services

by Blockworks /
article-image

Will TradFi make crypto better or create more problems than it solves?

article-image

Subtle decisions by risk curators saved Aave from significant turmoil

article-image

The new Rootstock Institutional unit aims to connect professional investors to Bitcoin-native yield and liquidity strategies anchored in BTC’s security layer

by Blockworks /
article-image

DOJ files record civil forfeiture against more than 127,000 BTC linked to scam activity

by Blockworks /