UK-based Fintech Merge has received approval to operate under an Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence and Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) granted by the AMF and ACPR in France. Merge states that it is one of the few firms to hold both regulatory approvals.
Merge will now be able to offer both blockchain-based and more traditional financial services, such as payments and digital assets.
Merge indicates that it intends to provide various services beyond payments and transfers.
Merge’s current API based platform supports multi-currency accounts, real-time payments, SWIFT connectivity, named sub-accounts, and foreign exchange. These tools enable businesses to manage global treasury operations and automate end-to-end payment flows.
Merge CEO Michael Burtscher notes that stablecoins are transforming how the world transfers value.
“With both EMI and VASP licences in place, Merge provides the regulatory foundation needed for organisations to confidently adopt stablecoin-powered payment infrastructure at scale.”
Merge is backed by investors such as Coinbase and Octopus Ventures.