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European Banks Choose Stablecoin Partners as MiCA Drives Crypto Market Shift  

European Banks
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Summary 

  • European banks and corporates are forming stablecoin partners rather than spending time studying market opportunities.
  • MiCA replaced 27 different national systems with a single EU rulebook, providing regulatory clarity for firms to shift from experimental research to execution. 
  • Corporate treasury demand drives stablecoin adoption for payments, settlements, and cross-border fund flows. 

Stablecoin’s role, especially across Europe, has evolved drastically from its initial one. Banks and corporations are shifting beyond research and experimentation to actively select infrastructure firms to support stablecoin adoption. 

According to Lamine Brahimi, co-founder and managing partner at Taurus, discussions about stablecoins in Europe have been ongoing over the past 18 months. Earlier, they were focused on education, risk, and compliance; however, firms are now shifting toward broad approval and launch plans.

He also added that the introduction of the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA) accelerated that transition by replacing fragmented national rules with a single bloc-wide regulatory regime. 

Brahimi said, “In the past 12 months alone, some of Europe’s most stringent financial institutions are all arriving at the same conclusion: digital assets, including stablecoins, belong inside the existing banking stack, not beside it.”

Corporate treasury teams play a role in shifting stablecoins from a mere experiment to a standard business tool. The initial stage is focused on payments and settlements. Stablecoins will be used to transfer funds quickly at reduced costs. It would also operate outside traditional banking hours. 

The Rapid Shift to Stablecoin Integration Driven By Corporate Treasury 

Lamine Brahimi said that the surge in stablecoin adoption is mainly driven by practical needs rather than long-term strategy. He said, “Once clients start asking for better settlement, more flexibility, or more efficient cross-border movement of value, the conversation becomes much more immediate and much more practical.”

Numerous European institutions have proceeded towards stablecoin adoption. On Thursday, CleanBank Europe announced that it has become the first Dutch credit institution to receive approval under MiCA to operate as a crypto asset service provider. A consortium of major banks, including ING, UniCredit, CaixaBank, and BBVA is now after Qivalis, a MiCA-compliant euro stablecoin initiative designed to enable regulated on-chain payments and settlement across Europe. 

European banks are also advancing with their own stablecoin initiatives. Paris-based Societe Generale has positioned its stablecoins around cross-border payments, on-chain settlements, FX, and cash management. The Paris-based bank, Oddo BHF, has launched a MiCA-compliant euro stablecoin. 

Konstantin Vasilenko, co-founder and chief business development officer at Paybis, said that the platform saw rising demand for a compatible stablecoin in Europe. Between October 2025 and March 2026, USDC volume on Paybis increased by 109% while its share of tablecoin activity surged from 13% to 32%.

The buy volume was about five to six times above the sell volume around the same period. He also notes that the average stablecoin transaction size was around 15% to 35% larger than typical Bitcoin (BTC) or Ether (ETH) trades. Vasilenko said, “That usually points to working capital, settlement use, and more deliberate business flows.”

Stablecoin Volume Reaches $1.5 Quadrillion by 2035 

According to a report published by Chainalysis, stablecoin transaction volumes could grow dramatically over the next decade. It could reach as high as $719 trillion by 2035 under organic growth scenarios, up from about $28 trillion in 2025. 

In an aggressive scenario, stablecoin transaction volumes could climb to $1.5 quadrillion if they become a dominant payment instrument. 

Will Harborne, CEO of stablecoin infrastructure provider Rhino.fi, said that stablecoins will become increasingly important for corporate treasury, cross-border settlement, and FX between euro and dollar stablecoins over the next few years. 

Harborne stated, “I think every business will eventually start accepting and using stablecoins in some form, and the companies that prepare early will be in the best position when that shift becomes mainstream.”