Bankinter joins the Qivalis consortium to launch a regulated, euro-denominated stablecoin
Bankinter’s entry forms part of the consortium’s expansion, which today welcomes 25 new banks, bringing total membership to 37 institutions and extending its footprint to 15 European countries, with the aim of supporting pan-European on-chain euro payments and settlements at scale.
Qivalis plans to launch this euro stablecoin in the second half of 2026 and to position it as a global benchmark in digital finance.
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Bankinter has joined the European consortium Qivalis, which is driving the development of a fully regulated euro-denominated stablecoin to enable immediate, secure and transparent on-chain payments and settlements.
The consortium’s initiative will allow companies and markets to operate with continuous liquidity, reduce transaction costs and risks, and advance the tokenisation of assets.
Bankinter has agreed with Qivalis to join this consortium, which plans to issue a euro-denominated stablecoin with the objective of enabling regulated on-chain euro payments and settlements. This means allowing both the transfer of money (payments) and the definitive completion of a financial transaction (settlement) to take place directly on blockchain-based networks (DLT), using digital euros and with regulated backing.
Qivalis, the European banking consortium established to issue a regulated euro-denominated stablecoin, today welcomes 25 new banks. This expansion increases the consortium’s total membership to 37 financial institutions and extends Qivalis’s footprint to 15 European countries, creating a truly pan-European network capable of supporting on-chain euro payments and settlements at scale, underpinned by a stablecoin fully backed 1:1 with the euro.
The consortium’s goal is to establish an on-chain ecosystem that positions the euro stablecoin as a global benchmark in digital finance. The growth in member financial institutions announced today by Qivalis significantly strengthens the collective effort to develop a euro-denominated stablecoin that complies with the MiCA regulation and is expected to be supervised by the Dutch central bank, De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB).
“For Bankinter, joining Qivalis represents a step forward in the innovation strategy that has consistently guided the bank throughout its history,” said César Calvo, Director of Strategy at Bankinter. “Having a regulated European and euro-denominated stablecoin supported by a banking consortium will mark a turning point in the Eurozone’s digital finance landscape and will pave the way for a new way of settling transactions, which will be executed immediately, securely and transparently.”
“We are thrilled to welcome 25 new partners to the Qivalis consortium”, said Jan-Oliver Sell, CEO of Qivalis. “This expansion marks a giant leap toward an open and compliant on-chain ecosystem for the euro and shows that the majority of European institutions have already prioritised euro-native on-chain settlement in their digital asset journey. The euro is Europe’s currency, and on-chain financial infrastructure should carry it - built by European institutions and governed by European rules.”
Instant payments for corporates and tokenised assets
Qivalis plans to deliver an on-chain native payment and settlement solution, denominated in euro, across several domains, unlocking the benefits of blockchain technology for companies and consumers in Europe and beyond. Corporate treasuries will be able to gain round-the-clock liquidity movement with immediate settlement. Tokenised assets - such as bonds, receivables, and real estate - will be able to settle atomically, reducing counterparty risk in a single step. European exporters will be able to use euro-denominated stablecoins directly, instead of relying on other currency-correspondent networks, reducing
both cost and latency through direct on-chain settlement. And smart-contract
functionality will enable programmable payments, limiting manual reconciliation.
“This infrastructure is essential if Europe is to compete in the global digital economy whilst preserving its strategic autonomy,” adds Sir Howard Davies, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Qivalis. “We are not merely building payment rails; we are ensuring that European principles - around data protection, financial stability and regulatory rigour - are embedded into the next generation of digital money. Efficiency in financial infrastructure is, ultimately, a matter of sovereignty. The euro’s role in the eurozone’s monetary system will increasingly depend on whether it is present - as the primary settlement currency - on the rails where global value moves.”
Domiciled in Amsterdam and founded in September 2025, Qivalis is currently pursuing authorisation from the DNB as an Electronic Money Institution. With only 0.2% percent of global stablecoin circulation currently euro-denominated, European businesses face a structural dependency that Qivalis is designed to solve. By developing a fully MiCAcompliant, euro-denominated stablecoin, the company seeks to enable the European finance sector to reclaim its digital infrastructure and build the future of European payments and settlements. Qivalis continues to engage constructively with regulatory authorities whilst advancing operational readiness and technical development in preparation for an anticipated market launch in the second half of 2026.
About Qivalis
Qivalis B.V. (www.qivalis.eu) is developing a fully regulated, euro-denominated stablecoin backed by a consortium of 37 leading European banks. Domiciled in Amsterdam and pursuing Dutch Central Bank (DNB) authorisation as an Electronic Money Institution (EMI), Qivalis is planning to issue their euro stablecoin under a full reserve model, serving as the cornerstone of institutional-grade on-chain payment and settlement infrastructure. The token will be distributed through Qivalis’ trusted partners. By bridging traditional finance
and on-chain innovation, Qivalis will deliver security, transparency, and trust to Europe's evolving digital economy. Qivalis plans to launch in the second half of 2026.
About Bankinter
Bankinter is Spain’s fifth-largest bank by assets and the most resilient banking institution among listed banks in the Eurozone, according to the European Banking Authority (EBA). In 2025, the institution achieved record profits of €1.09 billion, up 14.4% year on year, driven by business momentum. The bank has a presence in Spain, Portugal, Ireland and Luxembourg, with a business model diversified both across markets within the European Union and by type of business. Throughout its history, the bank has been a pioneer in digitalisation and financial innovation, having been an early adopter of digital banking and brokerage solutions, with milestones such as the launch of the first bank-owned robo-advisor in Spain and the first 100% digital investment advisor in Spanish banking, among others.