Bison Digital Assets (BDA) Partners with Circle to Bring MiCA-Compliant USDC & EURC Stablecoins to Europe

Bison Digital Assets (BDA), a subsidiary of Portuguese bank Bison Bank, has entered into a strategic partnership with Circle, a global digital asset management company.

Bison Digital Assets (BDA), the digital asset arm of Portuguese bank Bison Bank, has announced a strategic partnership with Circle, a global digital asset financial institution and the issuer of stablecoins USD Coin (USDC) and Euro Coin (EURC). The collaboration will see stablecoins regulated under the European Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) framework integrated into the BDA platform.

Announcing the partnership, Circle highlighted the use cases for USDC and EURC within the BDA platform. These include deposits, withdrawals, and cross-border payments, all carried out in adherence to MiCA regulations. The regulatory framework, set to be fully implemented by 2025, standardizes cryptocurrency activities within the European Union, ensuring both security and transparency for issuers and service providers.

Integração de stablecoins reguladas pela UE na plataforma da Bison Digital Assets visa ampliar opções de uso para clientes do banco português.

BDA clients will now be able to use USDC and EURC for deposits, withdrawals and payments, all in line with upcoming MiCA (Markets in Crypto Assets) regulations. This regulatory framework, which will be fully implemented by 2025, aims to standardize cryptocurrency activities within the EU, ensuring both security and transparency for issuers and service providers.

Both USDC and EURC are fully collateralized by cash reserves or equivalent assets, which are independently audited on a monthly basis to ensure a 1:1 peg to fiat currencies like the US dollar and euro. This allows users to redeem at any time, fostering trust and stability in the stablecoins.

Commenting on the partnership, António Henriques, CEO of Bison Bank, highlighted the impact of the collaboration. “We are excited to establish this partnership between BDA and Circle, offering our customers regulated and secure stablecoins,” he said. “We believe these currencies will play a key role in the future of financial services.”

The partnership will also extend to facilitating cross-border transactions on the blockchain, making them faster, more cost-effective and fully aligned with MiCA regulations. For users, this will present an efficient and reliable alternative to traditional banking systems, which are often characterized by high fees and lengthy processing times.

Sanja Kon, Vice President of Partnerships and Business Development in Europe at Circle, also reinforced the importance of this integration. “This collaboration reflects our shared vision of enabling the global movement of money in a secure, compliant and internet-native way,” she said.

With this initiative, BDA further cements its standing as a leader in the digital assets sector in Europe, merging the traditional financial system with the innovation of blockchain technology.