CSSF GRANTS ALIPAY LICENSE, PAVING WAY FOR EURO STABLECOIN
Alipay (Europe) Limited, the Luxembourg subsidiary of Ant Group, has received authorization from the CSSF to issue e-money tokens under MiCA regulation. The company is now able to launch a regulated euro-backed stablecoin across the EU with passporting rights to all EEA member states. The EMT licence, granted on September 16, is separate from Alipay Europe's existing electronic money institution authorization and specifically permits stablecoin issuance under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation framework that became applicable to EMT issuers on June 30, 2024. The authorization comes just two weeks after the CSSF imposed a €214,000 fine on Alipay Europe for serious anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing failings, including failure to report suspicious transactions and inadequate customer identity verification following an inspection between June 2023 and January 2024. Banking Circle SA remains the only other institution to have received an EMT licence from the CSSF, positioning Luxembourg as a key hub for digital payments and crypto regulation.