Banca Sella became the first Italian bank authorized to offer cryptocurrency services under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation after completing its notification process with the Bank of Italy on May 27, 2026. The bank plans to launch custody and transfer services for digital assets before the end of 2026, targeting select customer categories. Under MiCA, credit institutions can provide certain crypto-asset services through a notification process with their national regulator rather than obtaining full licensing required for non-bank entities. Banca Sella filed its notification 40 days in advance and completed the process without a full licensing review. The initial offering focuses on custody, receipt, and transfer for corporate and institutional clients, with no trading services announced. The effort follows years of investment, including participation in a distributed ledger technology pilot and an internal custody pilot using Fireblocks infrastructure.
"Banca Sella has become the first Italian bank to receive authorization to offer cryptocurrency services under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, completing its notification process with the Bank of Italy on May 27, 2026. The Biella-based bank plans to launch custody and transfer services for digital assets before the end of 2026, targeting select customer categories. Under MiCA, credit institutions can enter certain crypto-asset services through a notification process with their national regulator - a lighter path than the full licensing required for non-bank entities."
"Banca Sella filed its notification 40 days in advance, as required, and cleared the process without a full licensing review. The bank did not announce trading services; its initial offering centers on custody, receipt, and transfer of digital assets for corporate and institutional clients. The move is the product of years of internal investment. Banca Sella participated in the Bank of Italy's Fintech Milano Hub pilot program on distributed ledger technology beginning in 2022, and established a dedicated in-house DLT and Digital Assets team."
"In July 2025, the bank ran an internal crypto custody pilot using Fireblocks infrastructure, starting with a small group of employees holding digital assets including stablecoins. That pilot covered custody only - no trading - as executives assessed whether to extend services to the bank's 1.4 million customers, who hold over €66 billion in assets under custody. Banca Sella is also a founding member of Qivalis, a consortium of 37 European banks building a MiCA-compliant euro-denominated stablecoin."
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