Bison Bank has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first bank in Portugal to operate directly as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) under the European MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) regulation. The bank's CASP activity will be conducted through the merger of its fully owned subsidiary, Bison Digital Assets (BDA), a move already approved by the Bank of Portugal. This development follows BDA's pioneering status in 2022 as the first bank-owned Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) in the country.
António Henriques, CEO of Bison Bank, emphasized the strategic importance of this step: "We were pioneers three years ago when we realized the future of banking would involve integrating digital assets. Now, with a clear and solid European framework like MiCA, we are bringing this area into the heart of the bank." He added that the CASP license and merger realize the bank's vision of a single, regulated entity combining the robustness of a bank with the agility of the crypto world.
Bison Bank's CASP license, along with the integration of BDA—which in 2025 served approximately 275 clients and handled a traded volume of €165 million—positions the bank to accelerate its on-chain strategy. The new structure offers institutional clients simplified access to custody, exchange, and advisory services for crypto-assets under a bank-grade compliance and risk management framework. It also supports new products, including the recently launched EUB and USB E-money tokens (stablecoins), and future real-world asset (RWA) tokenization solutions.
This strategy is backed by the bank's financial strength. Bison Bank closed 2025 with a recurring net profit of €5 million, doubling the previous year, and a CET1 capital ratio of 38.5%, among the highest in European banking. Its leadership in digital assets was recognized with the "Portugal's Best for Digital Assets" distinction at the Euromoney Global Private Banking Awards 2026.
The MiCA regulation provides a harmonized legal framework for crypto-assets across the European Union, and Bison Bank's CASP license places it among a limited group of 30 EU banking institutions authorized to offer such services. This move bridges traditional finance with the digital asset economy, offering clients a regulated pathway to engage with cryptocurrencies and tokenized assets. By merging BDA into the bank, Bison Bank streamlines operations and enhances its ability to provide comprehensive digital asset services under a single, regulated entity.
