Blockchain.com moves Cayman VASP registration to a definitive custody licence
CIMA's approval covers virtual-asset custody and two exchange services, while Blockchain.com is also establishing a local operating presence through a Cayman technology partnership.
Blockchain.com has moved its Cayman Islands regulatory status from conditional approval to a definitive licence for virtual-asset custody. In a company announcement published Aug. 6, the crypto platform said its Cayman subsidiary had met the conditions set by the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, or CIMA, and was now licensed to provide custody services.
The company said CIMA granted conditional approval in December 2025 and that all conditions were met as of July 22, 2026. The same announcement says Blockchain.com had held a VASP registration in the jurisdiction since May 2022. It describes the change as a move from conditional status into a longer-term regulated operating position.
The permission covers more than storage
Blockchain.com said the approval includes virtual-asset custody, exchange between virtual assets and fiat currencies, and exchange between one or more other forms of convertible virtual assets. Those are the specific services the announcement attributes to CIMA's approval. CIMA's own FAQ says custody and virtual-asset trading-platform services require a licence under the amended VASP regime. The company also presents institutional custody and staking, for both institutional and retail users, as part of the broader product suite it is building around regulated operations.
That distinction matters in a market where a platform's brand can span custody, brokerage, exchange and yield products. A permission for one activity does not automatically describe the controls, eligibility rules or customer protections attached to another. The release gives no Cayman customer count, assets under custody, launch timetable or transaction volume for the newly licensed operation.
A local foothold is part of the announcement
The regulatory update comes with an operating plan. Blockchain.com said it partnered in June with TechCayman, a group that helps international technology companies establish a physical presence on the islands. Through that relationship, the company expects to make its first on-island hire and says the partnership will provide sponsorship, operational support and local contacts.
Blockchain.com also cites more than $1.1 trillion in facilitated transactions and 43 million verified users, figures that describe the global company rather than the Cayman entity. The next evidence will be the services that actually become available, the customer segments they serve and the way custody, exchange and staking responsibilities are divided.
