Bison Bank becomes Portugal’s first MiCA-licensed crypto bank
The bank's digital asset strategy has also received international recognition, including the "Portugal's Best for Digital Assets" award at the 2026 Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards.
Bison Bank has become the first Portuguese bank to operate directly as a MiCA-regulated crypto-asset service provider, strengthening its position in Europe’s regulated digital asset market.
The milestone follows the integration of Bison Digital Assets, the bank’s wholly owned crypto subsidiary, into Bison Bank after receiving approval from the Bank of Portugal.
BDA was launched in 2022 as Portugal’s first bank-owned virtual asset service provider. BDA served roughly 275 clients and recorded €165 million in transaction volume in 2025, while Bison Bank posted recurring net income of €5 million and a CET1 capital ratio of 38.5%.
Bison Bank said the CASP license allows it to fully integrate crypto services into its banking operations, providing institutional clients with custody, exchange and advisory services under a unified regulatory framework.
AI, tech, and the markets they move—in one daily briefing.
Daily. Free. Join 34,000+ readers across crypto, finance, and policy.
With the new structure, the bank plans to accelerate its digital asset strategy, including expanding support for its EUB and USB stablecoins and developing future tokenized real-world asset products.
In a statement, CEO António Henriques said MiCA enables the bank to combine traditional banking oversight with the flexibility of digital assets, positioning the institution for the next phase of financial innovation.