Sygnum, the Switzerland-based digital asset banking group, has activated its Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) licence in Liechtenstein, marking the formal start of operations for its Sygnum Europe subsidiary under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR).
The licence, granted by Liechtenstein's Financial Market Authority, came into effect as MiCAR's transition period ended on 30 June 2026. It gives Sygnum Europe passporting access into the EU single market, with the firm's Liechtenstein office positioned as a gateway to the bloc's largest economies.
Sygnum is bringing three distinct product lines to the EU. For high-net-worth individuals, it is offering fiat and digital asset accounts, trading across major cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, institutional-grade custody and access to products including the Sygnum Crypto Yield Fund. For institutional investors such as hedge funds and asset managers, it will offer Protect, its off-exchange custody platform, which segregates trading and custody to reduce counterparty exposure to crypto exchanges. For banks, it is extending its Bank-to-Bank infrastructure – already deployed with more than 25 Swiss partner banks, including PostFinance – to allow EU institutions to launch regulated digital asset services without building the underlying infrastructure themselves.
That last offering may be the most strategically significant. Sygnum says more than 5,000 European banks have yet to offer digital assets, citing cost and technical complexity as the primary barriers. The firm says it is on track to become one of Europe's largest regulated digital asset Bank-to-Bank networks by client reach by 2027.
"Direct access to the European market, powered by our global banking platform, will help us bring Sygnum's trusted, secure services to more clients across Europe," said Simon Schneider, CEO of Sygnum Europe.
Sygnum already operates regulated entities in Switzerland and Singapore and has a presence in the Middle East. The EU expansion follows a period of growth the firm describes as spanning its Protect custody platform, asset management, Lombard loans and private client services.
"MiCAR provides the foundation for Sygnum's next chapter of Future Finance in Europe," said Thomas Eichenberger, Sygnum Chief Strategy Officer and Deputy Group CEO. "This licence enables Sygnum's deployment-ready, regulated custody platform to scale across the EU, home to one of the world's largest and most diverse regional digital asset ecosystems."