Banca Sella Becomes First Italian Bank Authorized to Offer Crypto Services Under MiCA
May 27, 2026
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| In a landmark development for Italy's financial sector, Banca Sella has become the first bank in the country to formally complete the notification process with the Bank of Italy Banca d'Italia under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, known as MiCA. |
In a landmark development for Italy's financial sector, Banca Sella has become the first bank in the country to formally complete the notification process with the Bank of Italy Banca d'Italia under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation, known as MiCA. The move officially authorizes the institution to begin offering crypto-asset services to its customers.
The Biella-based banking group, one of Italy's oldest private banks with roots dating back to 1886, announced on May 27, 2026 that it has cleared all regulatory requirements under MiCA, positioning it as a pioneer among Italian credit institutions in the digital asset space.
What Services Are Coming:
According to the bank's official statement, Banca Sella plans to launch crypto custody and digital asset transfer services before the end of 2026. The offering will initially be directed at specific categories of clients, though the bank has indicated that its crypto ambitions extend beyond custody and transfers alone.
The bank's Managing Director of Digital Banking, Andrea Tessera, confirmed the direction in a statement accompanying the announcement, noting that the evolution of payments toward instant, interoperable, and programmable models driven in part by the tokenization of money and assets is reshaping financial infrastructure across Europe and globally.
Already Active in the Stablecoin:
Space Banca Sella's crypto push does not start from zero. The bank is already a member of Qivalis, a consortium of nine major European banks working together to issue a MiCA-regulated euro-denominated stablecoin. Other members of the consortium include ING, UniCredit, KBC, Danske Bank, DekaBank, SEB, CaixaBank, and Raiffeisen Bank International.
The stablecoin is expected to be issued in the second half of 2026, with the consortium having established a new legal entity in the Netherlands to be supervised by the Dutch Central Bank as an e-money institution.
The Regulatory Context:
Italy has been steadily tightening its crypto regulatory framework in preparation for full MiCA implementation. The country transitioned to a unified digital asset regulatory system in July 2025, and set a hard deadline of December 30, 2025 for all virtual asset service providers to either apply for MiCA authorization or exit the Italian market.
Despite over 150 pre-MiCA registrations having existed in Italy, the number of fully authorized crypto service providers under the new framework remains very low making Banca Sella's cleared status all the more notable.
Under MiCA, supervisory responsibilities in Italy are split between two regulators: CONSOB oversees conduct and market integrity, while Banca d'Italia handles prudential supervision for custody and settlement functions.
Why This Matters:
Banca Sella's authorization signals a significant shift in how traditional European banks are approaching digital assets. With a regulatory framework now firmly in place and a clear path to compliance, other Italian and European banks are expected to follow.
For retail and institutional clients, having a fully licensed, deposit-taking bank offer crypto custody and transfers represents a meaningful step toward mainstream adoption backed by the same consumer protections that apply to traditional financial services.
For crypto markets, the entry of legacy banks operating under strict EU oversight could bring greater stability, legitimacy, and trust to digital asset services particularly as the broader European crypto industry continues its transition away from the fragmented regulatory environment of the pre-MiCA era.
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