The Italian banking group Banca Sella Holding SpA has begun testing its own service for storing digital assets, including stablecoins, in partnership with the technology company Fireblocks.
This is reported by Business • Media
Pilot Project for Digital Assets
In the first phase of the program, only selected employees of the banking group can store crypto assets. In the future, according to sources, the bank does not rule out launching a corresponding service for a broader client audience. Fireblocks serves as the technology partner in this pilot project, providing the necessary infrastructure for the storage and security of digital assets.
“According to one source, the Sella group currently has no plans to launch a cryptocurrency trading service, including Bitcoin. Further steps will be determined after the completion of the pilot project, likely in the second half of summer.”
Changes in the European Banking Sector
Banks in Europe demonstrate varying levels of integration of digital assets into their services. New EU regulations in the field of cryptocurrencies, as well as the liberalization of rules in the US, are contributing to the more active involvement of traditional financial institutions in the digital asset market.
For example, Italy’s largest banking group, Intesa Sanpaolo SpA, purchased Bitcoin on the spot market for the first time in January 2025 and is already developing its own trading division for operations with digital assets.
Banca Sella Holding SpA is known for its innovative approach in the field of digital banking, and its subsidiary digital bank Hype already serves over 1 million users. This underscores the group’s leadership in implementing new financial technologies.
It is worth noting that recently, Circle applied to the U.S. Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to create a trust bank, which also indicates the growing interest of traditional financial structures in digital assets.