Portuguese private bank Bison Bank plans to launch a stablecoin in 2026, becoming the first banking institution in Portugal to issue the digital asset. The announcement is part of a three-pronged strategy that includes merging its crypto subsidiary and developing real world asset (RWA) tokenization capabilities.
The bank is integrating Bison Digital Assets (BDA), its three year old crypto subsidiary, into its main operations following Portugal’s adoption of the European MiCA framework in December, enabling Portuguese credit institutions to offer crypto asset services directly. The bank says it already has the technology to tokenize real world assets, with an initial focus on real estate and investment funds.
Bison Bank positions the stablecoin as a tool to improve cross border payment efficiency and reduce transaction costs for its client base, which spans over 140 countries. Its marketing materials indicate that Chinese entrepreneurs are a key target market, and the RMB is one of four currencies supported by its digital asset subsidiary alongside EUR, USD and GBP. The bank operates with a balance sheet of just under €600 million and offers private banking, wealth management, and investment banking services.
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