Banca Sella has made history as the first bank in Italy to secure a crypto services license from the Bank of Italy. This approval, granted under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, enables the bank to offer digital asset custody and transfer services.
Pioneering the Digital Asset Space
The fintech-focused private bank is set to launch its digital asset services later this year, targeting select corporate clients. The new platform will facilitate the custody, transfer, and receipt of digital assets.
Key Highlights:
- Banca Sella's license allows it to operate in the crypto space, joining around 20 major European banks that are already providing similar services under MiCA.
- The bank manages assets totaling approximately €50 billion ($54 billion) and serves over 3.1 million clients.
- Banca Sella is also a founding member of the Qivalis initiative, aimed at developing a euro-denominated stablecoin and participating in EU tokenization projects.
Completing a required 40-day notification process, Banca Sella is now positioned to introduce its dedicated crypto services in 2026. Initially, the bank planned to integrate retail crypto initiatives through its Hype mobile banking platform. However, the new infrastructure will focus on corporate clients, supported by a compliance partnership with blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis and a pilot project developed with Fireblocks.
