Italy’s Banca Sella is testing crypto custody services in-house, while German fintech Ivy is deepening its stablecoin infrastructure, in the latest signs that digital assets are moving further into Europe’s financial mainstream.
Banca Sella, which manages more than €66 billion in assets, has begun a limited trial of Fireblocks’ crypto custody software with a small group of employees. The program, which runs through the end of summer, will help the bank decide whether to roll out crypto storage services to its 1.4 million clients. For now, the test is focused strictly on custody, with no plans to offer trading, Bloomberg reported.
The move comes as other major Italian institutions take steps into crypto. Intesa Sanpaolo launched a spot bitcoin desk in January. UniCredit is preparing a capital-protected note tied to BlackRock’s IBIT ETF, and Société Générale is expanding its lineup of fiat-backed stablecoins.
In Berlin, startup Ivy said it has added Circle’s USDC and EURC stablecoins to its 24/7 payments platform. The integration allows crypto firms, payment providers, and e-commerce businesses to make instant bank payments, settle in local European currencies, and seamlessly convert to or from stablecoins.
The firm says it’s among the first to pair always-on fiat rails with native stablecoin minting and burning via Circle. Ivy’s backend system supports real-time settlement, designed to run continuously without weekend or holiday interruptions.
“Real-time bank rails and stablecoins go hand in hand,” said Ferdinand Dabitz, Ivy’s CEO and co-founder. “With Circle’s USDC and EURC now live on our platform, customers can move between fiat and digital assets instantly — day or night.”
Circle, which went public earlier this year, has been expanding its presence in global payments. In April, it launched the Circle Payments Network, aiming to bridge the gap between blockchain settlement and traditional finance.
Meanwhile, new data from payments app Oobit points to a steady uptick in everyday crypto use across Europe, particularly with stablecoins. Over the past month, 75% of all transactions on the platform were settled in stablecoins like USDR, EURR, and USDC.
The strongest activity was in retail and travel-related categories, with Poland, Lithuania, and Estonia showing the most growth. Poland accounted for more than 30% of food and retail purchases via stablecoins, while Lithuania saw a 100% jump in EURR transactions compared to the previous month. Estonia, known for its digital-first infrastructure, saw more than half of Oobit payments settled in stablecoins.
“People aren’t just holding crypto — they’re spending it,” said Oobit CEO Amram Adar. “Whether it’s a coffee in Warsaw or a hotel in Barcelona, stablecoins are quickly becoming part of everyday life.”
With Europe’s MiCA regulatory framework phasing in, countries like Lithuania are seeing a rush of license approvals. Robinhood Europe secured its MiCA-compliant license this month, further cementing the region as a proving ground for regulated crypto adoption.
