ClearBank Europe Becomes First Dutch Bank Approved Under EU's MiCAR Crypto Rules

ClearBank Europe today announced that it has become the first Dutch credit institution to complete a notification under the EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR), receiving confirmation from the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) to operate as a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP). This regulatory confirmation enables the bank to begin offering digital asset services and marks its entry into digital currency infrastructure as part of its broader digital assets strategy.

As a CASP, ClearBank Europe will roll out Circle's Mint platform and provide clients with access to stablecoins including Euro Coin (EURC) and USD Coin (USDC), stable digital currencies pegged to the Euro and the US Dollar respectively. This will enable clients in Europe to convert between traditional fiat currencies and digital assets within a secure, regulated banking environment. This direct link between traditional payment systems and blockchain-based networks will support faster and more efficient cross-border transactions and settlement across Europe.

This development reflects ClearBank's continued focus on innovation in digital assets - both by integrating digital asset-related activities within regulated banking environments, and by enabling digital asset firms to access traditional financial services.

Separately, in the UK market ClearBank previously announced a deepened partnership with Coinbase, to support a savings account offering made available through a digital assets exchange with eligible customer cash benefiting from FSCS protection. This UK specific initiative illustrates ClearBank Group's broader approach to bridging traditional banking infrastructure and digital assets ecosystems, in line with applicable regulatory frameworks.

Tristan Kirchner, CEO of ClearBank Europe, said: "Becoming a crypto-asset service provider under MiCAR, enables us to bring digital asset capabilities into a regulated clearing environment for the first time, putting us at the forefront of this new era of digital clearing. This is a significant step forward for both ClearBank Europe and our clients, as digital assets become an increasingly important layer of payments infrastructure."

"By providing access to stablecoins such as EURC and USDC, we are enabling new ways to move money across borders with greater speed, reduced cost and increased efficiency. As digital assets become more embedded in financial infrastructure, we are excited to play a leading role in that transition as we continue to innovate to meet evolving client needs."

As part of ClearBank's wider digital assets strategy across the Group, with different markets progressing in line with local regulatory frameworks, the European launch represents the bank's first major step in delivering digital clearing capabilities.