Banco Santander SA is reportedly in the preliminary stages of evaluating a broader entry into digital assets, with a specific focus on launching a stablecoin and expanding cryptocurrency access for retail clients through its digital arm, Openbank. The bank, headquartered in Madrid, is among the largest financial institutions in Europe.

These early efforts, while still subject to regulatory clearance, are aligned with growing institutional interest across the European banking sector in blockchain-based financial products. Sources with knowledge of Santander’s planning indicate that Openbank has submitted license applications under the European Union’s recently implemented Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework. If approvals are granted, crypto-related services could roll out by year-end.

From a strategic standpoint, Santander appears to be weighing two potential avenues: issuing a proprietary stablecoin backed by the euro or U.S. dollar, or providing customers with access to third-party stablecoins already in circulation. The bank’s positioning in Latin America, where dollar-backed stablecoins have become a popular hedge against local currency volatility, presents a logical entry point. The current global stablecoin market is valued at approximately $250 billion, with growing institutional usage for cross-border payments, settlement of digital securities, and real-time liquidity management.

This move would expand Santander’s longstanding involvement in blockchain infrastructure, which includes early investments in Ripple Labs Inc. and participation in Fnality International. Santander and Fnality are working together to use digital representations of central bank money for real-time settlement of tokenized securities and cross-border payments. In 2020, Santander partnered with Ripple to improve speed and certainty in international transactions.

Santander’s initiative aligns with a growing trend among major European banks embracing digital assets under the clarity of MiCA regulations. BBVA, for instance, has secured approval to offer bitcoin and ethereum trading in Spain, while Societe Generale has introduced a MiCA-compliant euro stablecoin, EUR Coinvertible, on the Stellar blockchain. Similarly, Deutsche Bank’s asset management arm, DWS Group, is collaborating with Galaxy Digital and Flow Traders through their joint venture, Allunity, to launch a euro-denominated stablecoin. Collectively, these moves reflect a strategic shift as traditional financial institutions position themselves to compete with crypto-native firms in the evolving digital finance landscape.

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