Blockchain.com secures full Cayman VASP custody licence as regulatory footprint expands
The CIMA approval replaces a conditional permit from December 2025, allowing Blockchain.com to offer regulated custody, crypto exchange and staking services in the Cayman Islands alongside recent MiCA licensing and UK FCA registration.
Blockchain.com received a definitive Virtual Asset Service Provider custody licence from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority on July 22, 2026, replacing a conditional permit issued in December 2025 and completing a multi-year process that began with a local VASP registration in May 2022. The approval allows the company to provide regulated custody, crypto-to-fiat exchange and crypto-to-crypto exchange services through its Cayman subsidiary, while also supporting institutional staking infrastructure and retail staking under the local framework. The licence adds to Blockchain.com's recent MiCA licence covering the European economic area and its UK Financial Conduct Authority registration, reinforcing the firm's regulated presence as it builds a permanent operating presence in the Cayman Islands through TechCayman. Founded in 2011, Blockchain.com said it has processed more than $1.1 trillion in transactions and serves over 43 million verified users worldwide.
- VASP: A virtual asset service provider, a regulated firm offering services such as crypto custody or exchange.
- MiCA: The European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets framework for licensing and supervising crypto firms.
- staking: Using crypto assets to help validate blockchain networks in return for potential rewards.