Russia and the United Kingdom may have been stealing the spotlight in crypto adoption, but fellow European neighbor Portugal is starting to adapt with the rise of tokenized assets following the enactment of the landmark Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, with investment financial institution Bison Bank taking the lead.
Last week, Bison Bank announced that it would launch a Portuguese stablecoin pegged to a regular fiat as part of its mission to bridge traditional finance (TradFi) with the digital world.
CEO António Henriques stated that they plan to introduce the stablecoin in the first half of 2026, along with other services that would help expand the bank’s value proposition and position it as a model for financial institutions and enterprises looking to explore modern applications using blockchain technology.
While Bison Bank remains mum on details of its stablecoin rollout, the initiative is expected to provide greater access to cross-border transactions and reduced fees for its clients in more than 140 countries — benefits known to be significant in similar stablecoin projects introduced in previous months.
“Our DNA is global. We serve clients in over 140 countries, and our duty is to eliminate the barriers that separate them from their investment opportunities,” said Henriques.
Apart from its planned stablecoin, Bison Bank said it will merge with its crypto branch, Bison Digital Assets (BDA), to further expand its entry into digital assets. The tie-up will see Bison Bank offer crypto-asset deposit transfer, custody services, and exchange services to large investors and individual clients, showcasing its intent to become a major player in Portugal’s financial innovation while fostering inclusivity.
As Portugal’s first crypto bank, Bison Bank will also begin tokenizing real-world assets (RWAs) centered on real estate and investment fund sectors, giving clients diversity in their financial ventures.
“The merger of BDA, asset tokenization, and the launch of the first Portuguese bank-issued stablecoin are not just technological steps; they are the materialization of the bank’s vision to build a real bridge between traditional finance and the digital economy. We are creating the bank of the future, today, in a regulated and secure manner,” said Henriques.
Bison Bank’s arrival into the digital asset space comes a month after Portugal officially completed the implementation of MiCA on December 22, 2025, under Law 69/2025, wherein the Bank of Portugal and the Portuguese Securities Market Commission (CMVM) have been selected as authorities at the forefront of supervising digital asset activities outlined in MiCA.
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