Amsterdam, Wednesday 4 February 2026 – BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria) has officially joined Qivalis, a consortium of leading European banks working to establish a MiCAR-compliant euro-stablecoin issuer, currently progressing towards authorisation by the Dutch Central Bank (DNB). The consortium now comprises twelve European banks: Banca Sella, BBVA, BNP Paribas, CaixaBank, Danske Bank, DekaBank, DZ BANK, ING, KBC, Raiffeisen Bank International, SEB, and UniCredit.
Jan-Oliver Sell, CEO of Qivalis, comments: “We are excited to welcome BBVA to the consortium. BBVA’s vision and expertise in digital payments, as well as their strong reputation as a major European bank, make them a highly valuable partner to Qivalis and the consortium. Their involvement reflects the increasing dedication of European banking institutions to jointly develop a European on-chain payment ecosystem based on the trust that banks provide. This step consolidates Qivalis’ standing as Europe’s foremost bank-supported stablecoin initiative.”
BBVA is a Spanish multinational financial services institution with operations across multiple geographies. The bank has demonstrated significant commitment to digital transformation and sustainable finance initiatives. BBVA has received recognition from industry analysts and rating agencies for its digital banking platforms and mobile applications, securing positions in various international rankings for digital banking excellence. BBVA is the second Spanish bank joining the consortium, following CaixaBank.
“Collaboration between banks is key to create common standards that support the evolution of the future banking model and deliver financial innovation to our clients in a consistent and practical way. In this regard, BBVA brings to Qivalis extensive experience amassed over years of exploring and developing use cases linked to digital assets,” said Alicia Pertusa, Head of Partnerships & Innovation at BBVA CIB.
Domiciled in Amsterdam, Qivalis is building a resilient institutional‑grade on‑chain infrastructure. Currently, Qivalis is progressing towards authorisation by the Dutch Central Bank to operate as an Electronic Money Institution (EMI), with a target launch in the second half of 2026. Preparatory activities include ongoing regulatory engagement, operational readiness, and technical implementation to ensure full compliance and a secure, market-ready launch in 2026. The consortium remains open to additional banks joining its mission to drive innovation in payments, settlement, and digital assets, with regulatory clarity, security, and institutional responsibility at its core.
