Bison Bank Secures Portugal’s First MiCA Crypto‑Asset Service License
Bison Bank has become the first Portuguese bank to operate as a Crypto‑Asset Service Provider (CASP) under the European Union’s MiCA (Markets in Crypto‑Assets) regulation. The bank will conduct its CASP activities through the merger with its wholly‑owned subsidiary Bison Digital Assets (BDA), which was already licensed by the Bank of Portugal and acted as Portugal’s first bank‑owned Virtual Asset Service Provider since 2022.
In 2025 BDA served about 275 institutional clients and processed roughly €165 million of crypto‑asset trades. The new CASP structure gives these clients regulated access to custody, exchange and advisory services, supports the recently launched EUB and USB stablecoins, and paves the way for future tokenisation of real‑world assets. Bison Bank closed 2025 with a recurring net profit of €5 million, double the previous year, and a CET1 capital ratio of 38.5%, among the highest in European banking. Its digital‑asset work was recognised with the “Portugal’s Best for Digital Assets” award at the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2026. CEO António Henriques said the MiCA framework allows the bank to combine traditional stability with crypto‑market agility.
Entities: António Henriques · Bank of Portugal · Bison Bank · Bison Digital Assets · MiCA (Markets in Crypto‑Assets)
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Bison Bank’s CET1 capital ratio was 38.5% at the end of 2025.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Bison Bank merged its subsidiary Bison Digital Assets to conduct CASP activities.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Bison Bank closed 2025 with a recurring net profit of €5 million, double the previous year.
- [● 3 SOURCES] The new CASP structure offers institutional clients regulated custody, exchange and advisory services for crypto‑assets.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Bison Bank launched the EUB and USB stablecoins and plans tokenisation of real‑world assets.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Bison Digital Assets served approximately 275 clients in 2025 and handled a traded volume of €165 million.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Bison Bank became the first bank in Portugal to operate as a Crypto‑Asset Service Provider under the MiCA regulation.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Bison Bank received the “Portugal’s Best for Digital Assets” award at the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2026.