Frequently Asked Questions
How casphub counts authorised entities, what we exclude, and why our number may differ from other MiCA directories.
Entity count & methodology
- What does casphub count?
- We count authorised CASP legal entities — unique firms that hold a MiCA crypto-asset service provider (CASP) authorisation on the ESMA interim register. Each entity is identified by its official register ID. If the same legal entity appears in multiple CSV rows (for example, after a re-notification or data correction), we deduplicate to one record.
- What does casphub exclude from the headline count?
- Withdrawn authorisations — entities whose authorisation end-date has passed are excluded from the headline count (they remain browsable in the register with a "Withdrawn" label). Brand aliases and trading names — a single authorised legal entity may operate several consumer brands; we count the legal entity once. Pending applications — firms that have applied but have not yet received a MiCA authorisation are not on the ESMA register and are not counted. Legacy national VASP-only registrations — national crypto-asset registrations that predate MiCA and have not been converted to a MiCA authorisation are not included.
- Why might other directories show 330–360 or more?
- Different counts usually reflect different counting rules. Some directories count every row in the ESMA CSV rather than every unique legal entity — this inflates the number when one entity has multiple rows (re-notifications, service amendments, or corrections). Others include trading names or consumer brands as separate entries, count withdrawn authorisations alongside active ones, or include legacy national VASP registrations that are not MiCA authorisations. Some update more or less frequently, creating temporary drift between data snapshots.
- How often is the register synced?
- casphub syncs the ESMA CASPS.csv file daily (every day at 06:00 UTC via an automated pipeline). Changes — new entities, removals, and field updates — are diffed against the previous version, logged in the What's New section, and published in the weekly CASP Times bulletin. The "as-of" date shown in the Snapshot reflects the last completed sync check, including days where ESMA published no changes.
- Where is the official source data?
- The authoritative source is the ESMA MiCA register page. ESMA publishes a CSV file (CASPS.csv) listing authorised CASPs. National competent authorities (NCAs) report authorisations to ESMA, which compiles and publishes the consolidated register.
- Is casphub an official register?
- No. casphub is an independent aggregator that re-publishes and enriches official ESMA register data with search, filtering, passporting maps, and market context. Always verify authorisation status against the official ESMA register or the relevant national competent authority for regulatory or legal purposes.
- What does the Also EMI badge mean?
- CASP ≠ EMI. The Also EMI badge appears only when the same legal entity (same LEI / same firm on the NCA register) holds both a MiCA CASP authorisation and an EU electronic money institution authorisation. Group affiliates (different legal entities under one brand) are not badged. Example: MoonPay Europe B.V. holds both the Netherlands AFM CASP and DNB EMI on that single B.V. Curated overlaps only — not a full EU EMI census. Not financial advice.
Summary
The headline count on casphub represents authorised CASP legal entities: unique firms with an active MiCA authorisation on the ESMA interim register, after deduplication and excluding withdrawn records. This is deliberately conservative — we prefer an accurate entity count over a larger row count.
Other directories may legitimately show higher numbers because they count register rows, include brand aliases, or mix in legacy national registrations. Neither approach is wrong, but they measure different things.