Flowdesk Secures ACPR Authorization to Expand Stablecoin Services Across European Union

Flowdesk Europe has secured authorization as a Payment Institution from France’s ACPR, enabling the firm to handle e-money tokens across the European Union. This regulatory milestone bridges the gap between traditional payment services and MiCA-regulated stablecoins, providing institutional clients with a compliant infrastructure for the custody, transfer, and settlement of digital assets.

What was announced

Flowdesk Europe, the European entity of global liquidity provider Flowdesk, has been officially authorized as a Payment Institution by the French Prudential Supervision and Resolution Authority (ACPR). This authorization, granted under the second Payment Services Directive (PSD2), specifically empowers the firm to provide custody and transfer services for e-money tokens (EMTs). These tokens are fiat-referenced stablecoins that fall under the strict regulatory requirements of the Markets in Crypto-Asset (MiCA) regulation.

This new status follows closely on the heels of the firm’s Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) authorization, which it received from the Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) at the end of June this year. By combining these two regulatory pillars, Flowdesk Europe can now offer a comprehensive suite of services to its clients across the European Union, covering the trading, custody, and transfer of both crypto-assets and EMTs. The firm currently operates with a global workforce of over 200 employees and provides 24/7/365 coverage across more than 150 exchanges. This latest move in France complements its existing regulatory standing in other jurisdictions, such as its full Broker-Dealer license from Dubai’s Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), reinforcing its role as a compliant counterparty for institutional players, exchanges, and token issuers.

"Our clients increasingly use stablecoins to move value, and they expect high regulatory standards across all of their activity. Adding this authorization to our existing CASP authorization lets use meet that expectation for our EU clients, from execution through to custody and settlement, under one regulated entity. As liquid assets continue to move onchain through stablecoins and other forms of tokenization, institutions need a regulated and compliant counterparty that can support that shift."

Guilhem Chaumont, Co-Founder and CEO of Flowdesk.

The companies involved

Flowdesk is a global liquidity provider and digital asset trading infrastructure firm. It maintains a significant market presence with over 200 employees and a physical footprint in major financial hubs, including Paris and Dubai. The firm provides 24/7/365 coverage across more than 150 global exchanges. Flowdesk is supported by a high-profile group of institutional investors, including BlackRock, which has been the subject of 66 reports by FF News, and Coinbase Ventures, which has appeared in 10 of our reports.

Another key backer is Cathay Innovation, a venture capital firm that is part of the broader Cathay Capital group. Cathay Innovation has been featured in 6 FF News stories. Flowdesk’s regulatory strategy is global in scope; in addition to its new French Payment Institution status and its existing Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) authorization from the AMF, the firm also holds a full Broker-Dealer license from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) in Dubai. This multi-jurisdictional approach positions the firm as a regulated counterparty for institutions and token issuers.

What FF News has reported before

The shift toward regulated stablecoin infrastructure is a recurring theme in recent market activity. FF News recently covered how AllUnity Debuts MiCAR-Compliant USDAU Stablecoin and Instant FX for Businesses, highlighting the growing demand for compliant fiat-referenced tokens. Similarly, the trend of integrating stablecoins into core financial services was seen when Jeeves Secures $110M to Scale Stablecoin-Native Banking for Global Enterprises.

Liquidity provision in the digital asset space also remains a high-stakes sector for venture capital. We reported on this when Raven Trading Hits $90M Valuation to Dominate Prediction Market Liquidity, a round that also involved Flowdesk investor Coinbase Ventures. These developments underscore a broader industry movement where liquidity and banking services are increasingly merging with regulated onchain assets.

What this means

The convergence of PSD2 and MiCA regulations represents a significant professionalization of the European digital asset market. By securing both PI and CASP authorizations, firms are effectively removing the friction between traditional fiat payments and onchain settlement. This puts immense pressure on unregulated liquidity providers who lack the compliance framework to handle e-money tokens, which are becoming the preferred vehicle for institutional value transfer. The industry is moving toward a "one-stop-shop" model where execution, custody, and settlement are handled under a single regulated umbrella. This shift raises a critical question for the sector: can boutique providers survive without the heavy regulatory overhead now required to serve institutional clients?