Blockchain.com has secured a definitive Virtual Asset Service Provider custody licence from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, expanding its regulated crypto services after meeting all licensing conditions on July 22.
Summary
- Blockchain.com has secured a full VASP custody licence from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority.
- The approval allows the company to offer regulated custody, staking and exchange services in the Cayman Islands.
- The company has also partnered with TechCayman and plans to hire its first employee in the jurisdiction.
- The licence follows Blockchain.com’s recent MiCA approval in Europe and FCA registration in the UK.
According to a Thursday announcement from Blockchain.com, the approval grants the company a full Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) custody services licence through its Cayman Islands subsidiary, replacing the conditional approval issued by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA) in December 2025. The company said it had satisfied all of the regulator’s conditions before receiving the definitive licence.
Alongside custody services, the licence authorizes Blockchain.com to offer exchanges between virtual assets and fiat currencies as well as exchanges between one or more convertible virtual assets. Before obtaining the licence, the company had operated under a VASP registration in the Cayman Islands since May 2022.
The latest approval adds to a series of regulatory milestones for Blockchain.com over the past year. The company recently obtained a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) licence in Europe and completed registration with the UK Financial Conduct Authority, developments that co-CEO Lane Kasselman said strengthen its regulated presence across multiple jurisdictions.
Blockchain.com expands regulated services in the Cayman Islands
With the definitive licence now in place, Blockchain.com said it can offer a regulated suite of institutional and retail services from the Cayman Islands. The company identified institutional custody as a core offering, providing secure digital asset storage for organizations managing crypto holdings.
The licence also supports institutional staking infrastructure, allowing organizations to participate in blockchain network validation while earning staking rewards. Retail staking has also been included under the regulated framework, giving eligible users access to staking services within a compliant environment, according to the company.
Lane Kasselman said the CIMA approval builds on the company’s recent regulatory progress in Europe and the United Kingdom.
“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 company described the approval as the final stage of its licensing process in the Cayman Islands, moving its local operations from conditional authorization to full regulatory status.
The Cayman Islands Monetary Authority had granted Blockchain.com conditional approval for the licence in December 2025. The company said all licensing requirements were fulfilled before the regulator issued the definitive approval on July 22, 2026.
The licence authorizes Blockchain.com to provide regulated custody services together with crypto-to-fiat and crypto-to-crypto exchange services in the Cayman Islands.
Cayman licence follows local expansion plans
Beyond regulatory approvals, Blockchain.com said it is increasing its presence in the Cayman Islands through a partnership announced in June with TechCayman, an organization that helps international technology companies establish operations in the territory.
According to the announcement, the partnership will support Blockchain.com’s first local employee, who will join the company’s Cayman Islands operations as it expands its presence in the jurisdiction. TechCayman will provide sponsorship, operational support and access to its local business network as part of the arrangement.
The company said local hiring forms part of its effort to establish a permanent operating presence rather than maintaining only a regulatory registration.
Founded in 2011, Blockchain.com said it has processed more than $1.1 trillion in transactions and serves over 43 million verified users worldwide.
Regulatory expansion has continued across multiple markets
The Cayman licence follows several operational and regulatory initiatives undertaken by Blockchain.com during 2026.
In May, the company confidentially submitted a draft registration statement to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a potential initial public offering. The filing started the SEC’s review process but did not disclose the proposed offering size or valuation. Blockchain.com said at the time that any public listing would proceed only after regulatory review and subject to market conditions.
Earlier in April, the company introduced perpetual futures trading within its non-custodial DeFi wallet through Hyperliquid. The feature allows users to trade more than 190 cryptocurrency markets with leverage of up to 40 times while keeping control of their private keys instead of transferring assets to a centralized exchange. Blockchain.com also said it intends to add forex, stock, and commodity markets to the platform over time.
Geographic expansion has also continued this year. In March, Blockchain.com launched retail operations in Ghana after reporting significant user growth in the country, while describing Nigeria as one of its fastest-growing markets following the establishment of local operations in Lagos.
