Blockchain.com Secures Cayman Islands VASP Custody Licence
“Strong regulation is essential to the long-term development of digital assets,” Blockchain.com Co-CEO Lane Kasselman said as the crypto platform secured a definitive Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) custody services license from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA).
The licence, granted through Blockchain.com’s Cayman Islands subsidiary, allows the company to provide virtual asset custody services, as well as exchange between virtual assets and fiat currencies and exchange between one or more other forms of convertible virtual assets.
The approval took effect on July 22, 2026, after Blockchain.com met all the conditions attached to an earlier conditional approval granted by CIMA in December 2025.
“Our VASP custody services licence builds on the regulatory momentum we’ve established with our recent MiCA and FCA approvals,” Kasselman said.
“We believe strong regulation is essential to the long-term development of digital assets, and these approvals further strengthen our ability to serve customers across the region.”
The Cayman Islands approval adds to Blockchain.com’s regulatory clearances over the past 12 months, including a Markets in Crypto-Assets, or MiCA, licence in Europe and registration with the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority.
Blockchain.com had held a VASP registration in the Cayman Islands since May 2022 before receiving conditional approval for a licence in December last year.
The CIMA licence will support a suite of regulated services that includes institutional custody and staking, as well as retail staking.
Its institutional custody business provides storage for digital assets, while its staking services allow institutional and retail customers to participate in blockchain network consensus and earn yield.
Blockchain.com is also expanding its presence in the Cayman Islands after partnering with TechCayman in June to establish a physical presence in the jurisdiction.
The company said it will soon make its first on-island hire to support its operations and the local ecosystem. TechCayman is providing the sponsorship framework, operational support and local network for Blockchain.com’s expansion in the territory.
The move comes as crypto companies expand their regulatory footprints across multiple jurisdictions amid the rollout of more formal licensing frameworks for digital asset businesses.
Founded in 2011, Blockchain.com said it has facilitated more than $1.1 trillion in transactions and has 43 million verified users. The company operates in more than 70 jurisdictions and provides self-custody and institutional digital asset services.
