Bankinter invests in Bit2Me as MiCA rollout accelerates in EU
Spanish lender Bankinter has taken a minority stake in Bit2Me, adding traditional-finance backing to the Madrid-headquartered exchange’s regulated growth plan.
The move follows Tether’s leadership of a €30 million round in 2025 and underscores bank–crypto collaboration under the EU’s new rules. The Bankinter stake in Bit2Me is positioned to strengthen the company’s capital base and regulatory ambitions across Europe and Latin America.
Deal Overview and Why It Matters
Bankinter’s investment joins Tether’s previously announced participation in a €30m funding round, further consolidating Bit2Me’s resources for expansion. Bit2Me says it will use the funds to scale institutional services and maintain compliance as MiCA takes effect across the bloc.
Bit2Me’s Regulatory Standing Under MiCA
Bit2Me received authorization from Spain’s CNMV as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP), making it the first Spanish exchange (and first Spanish-speaking fintech, per company statements) to secure MiCA status—allowing passporting across the EU.
Banking Partnerships Signal Integration
The exchange has embedded with traditional finance over the past 18 months, including a joint custody/trading solution with Cecabank and acting as an execution partner for Turkey’s Garanti BBVA. These partnerships indicate growing institutional demand for compliant crypto access.
What Bankinter Says
Bankinter framed the deal around “technological and knowledge-based synergies” in distributed ledger technology (DLT). Bit2Me CFO Pablo Casadío added: “This alliance confirms that the banking sector can leverage our deep industry know-how to enhance its offering. Instead of competing, we are integrating strengths.”
Investors and Ecosystem Context
Unicaja, through Unicaja Ventures, acquired over 5% of Bit2Me in 2024 and took a board seat, while Cecabank has been building institutional crypto services—both developments highlighting Spain’s banking sector interest in digital assets as MiCA phases in.
Expansion Plans in Europe and Latin America
Bit2Me says the round supports growth in EU markets via MiCA passporting and continued push into Latin America. Prior communications linked the capital to EU expansion and LatAm initiatives.
What the Bankinter stake in Bit2Me means for compliance-focused access
For enterprises and banks, a MiCA-authorized counterparty with multiple bank backers may lower perceived operational and regulatory risk versus offshore venues. The tie-up may also accelerate white-label and backend services for European banks seeking crypto capabilities without building in-house stacks.
Bankinter stake in Bit2Me and the road to EU-wide services
With CNMV authorization and partnerships like Cecabank, Bit2Me is positioned to offer custody, execution, and data services across EU markets under a single framework—subject to each service’s specific MiCA permissions.
Context & Analysis
The investment continues a broader European trend: banks partnering with regulated crypto providers instead of building stacks from scratch. MiCA is accelerating institutional adoption by offering a harmonized rulebook, while localized partnerships (Cecabank in Spain, Garanti BBVA in Türkiye) provide distribution and compliance advantages.
Bottom Lines
Bankinter’s entry expands Bit2Me’s growing support base among Spain’s major banks and strengthens its alignment with a MiCA-first strategy for institutional crypto adoption. This move reflects increasing confidence from traditional financial players and highlights the company’s focus on regulatory compliance across the European market, positioning it as a trusted partner for banks and large financial institutions.
Going forward, attention will shift toward new product launches aimed specifically at EU financial institutions, as well as additional updates on Bit2Me’s expansion plans in Latin America. These growth initiatives are expected to be supported by funding secured for the 2025–2026 period, reinforcing the company’s long-term regional strategy.
FAQs
Q : Who invested in Bit2Me in this round?
A : Bankinter took a minority stake, joining a €30m funding round led by Tether.
Q : What is MiCA and why does it matter?
A : MiCA is the EU’s crypto regulatory framework that allows authorized firms like Bit2Me to operate across EU member states under a single license.
Q : Does Bit2Me work with traditional banks?
A : Yes. Its partnerships include Cecabank for custody and trading, and Garanti BBVA for execution services.
Q : When did Tether invest?
A : Tether announced its minority stake and leadership of the €30m round in August 2025.
Q : Is Unicaja involved with Bit2Me?
A : Yes. Unicaja acquired more than 5% in 2024 and secured a board seat.
Q : Where is Bit2Me based?
A : Bit2Me is headquartered in Madrid, Spain, with EU operations under MiCA.
Q : Does the Bankinter stake change services for retail users?
A : No immediate changes have been announced. The deal mainly strengthens capital and institutional reach.
Facts
Event
Bankinter takes minority stake in Bit2Me, joining Tether-led €30m roundDate/Time
2026-01-14T13:00:00+05:00Entities
Bankinter S.A.; Bit2Me (BME: private); Tether; CNMV; Cecabank; Garanti BBVAFigures
€30m round (announced Aug 2025); minority stake (undisclosed %)Quotes
“This alliance confirms that the banking sector can leverage our deep industry know-how to enhance its offering. Instead of competing, we are integrating strengths.” Pablo Casadío, CFO, Bit2Me.Sources
CoinDesk (news) • Bit2Me (company blog) • Unicaja (press room) • PR Newswire/Cecabank (institutional product)