Blockchain.com has secured a definitive Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) custody licence from the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority (CIMA), completing the regulatory process that began with conditional approval in December 2025.
The company said it had met every licensing requirement before receiving the full approval on 22 July 2026 through its Cayman Islands subsidiary.
The licence allows Blockchain.com to provide regulated custody services, including the storage of digital assets for institutional and retail customers. It also covers exchanges between virtual assets and fiat currencies, as well as exchanges involving one or more convertible virtual assets.
Blockchain.com had operated in the Cayman Islands under a VASP registration since May 2022. The new licence moves its local business from conditional authorisation to full regulatory status.
The company said the approval would allow it to offer a broader range of regulated services from the territory. Institutional custody is among its core offerings, providing organisations with secure storage for cryptocurrency holdings.
The licence also supports institutional staking infrastructure. This enables organisations to take part in blockchain network validation while receiving staking rewards. Eligible retail customers will also be able to access staking services within the regulated framework.
Blockchain.com co-CEO Lane Kasselman said the Cayman Islands approval strengthened the company’s growing regulatory presence across several major jurisdictions. The firm has recently secured a Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) licence in Europe and completed registration with the UK Financial Conduct Authority.
CIMA granted conditional approval for the Cayman Islands licence in December 2025. Blockchain.com said the regulator issued definitive approval on 22 July 2026 after all outstanding conditions had been fulfilled.
The company is also expanding its physical presence in the territory. In June, it announced a partnership with TechCayman, an organisation that helps international technology companies establish operations in the Cayman Islands.
The partnership will support Blockchain.com’s first local employee, who will join the company’s Cayman Islands operation as it develops its presence there. TechCayman will provide sponsorship, operational assistance and access to its local business network.
Blockchain.com said local recruitment was part of its plan to create a permanent operating presence in the Cayman Islands, rather than maintaining only a regulatory registration.
Founded in 2011, the company says it has processed more than $1.1tn in transactions and has more than 43 million verified users worldwide.
The Cayman Islands licence follows a series of commercial and regulatory developments for 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 submission began the SEC review process but did not reveal the proposed size or valuation of the offering. Blockchain.com said any listing would depend on regulatory review and market conditions.
In April, the company introduced perpetual futures trading to its non-custodial DeFi wallet through Hyperliquid. The service allows users to trade more than 190 cryptocurrency markets with leverage of up to 40 times, while retaining control of their private keys instead of transferring assets to a centralised exchange.
Blockchain.com said it plans to add foreign exchange, stock and commodity markets to the platform over time.
The company has also continued its geographical expansion. In March, it launched retail operations in Ghana after reporting significant user growth there. It described Nigeria as one of its fastest-growing markets after establishing local operations in Lagos.
