AMINA (Austria) AG, a subsidiary of AMINA Bank AG, has recently received authorisation from the Austrian Financial Market Authority (FMA) to provide crypto-asset services under the EU's new Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). This marks one of the first few MiCA authorisations granted in Austria. CERHA HEMPEL advised the AMINA Group comprehensively throughout the licensing process and its strategic expansion into the European Union.
AMINA Bank AG – A global pioneer in crypto banking
Headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, AMINA Bank AG is among the world's few fully regulated 'crypto banks'—combining traditional private banking with regulated digital-asset services. Among AMINA's major shareholders is Julius Baer, Switzerland's largest private bank, managing over EUR 400 billion in assets. With offices in, among other places, the United Arab Emirates and Hong Kong, AMINA has become one of the fastest-growing digital-asset banks globally.
With the establishment and licensing of AMINA (Austria) AG, also known as AMINA EU, the group has laid the regulatory foundation for its expansion into the European market. The Austrian entity will act as the group's hub for EU-wide crypto-asset services.
MiCA licensing – A gateway to the EU single market
MiCA creates a fully harmonised regulatory framework for crypto-assets across the European Union. Licensed providers in one Member State can operate across all EU jurisdictions through a passporting regime, without the need for additional national authorisations.
MiCA imposes stringent requirements on governance, own funds, risk management, IT and cybersecurity, and transparency, ensuring consumer protection and institutional confidence. The EU single market, comprising over 400 million consumers, is now one of the world's largest regulated environments for crypto-asset services, offering unparalleled scale and legal certainty compared to fragmented markets such as the US or Southeast Asia.
About CERHA HEMPEL and the project team
CERHA HEMPEL is one of Austria's leading commercial law firms, with a strong focus on financial regulation, fintech and digital assets. The project team was led by Dr. Oliver Völkel, LL.M. and included Bryan Hollmann, Philipp Ley, Jara Erhard and Yvonne Wimmer.
Oliver Völkel is recognised as one of Austria's foremost experts in crypto-asset regulation and financial innovation. He regularly advises banks, payment institutions and fintechs on MiCA, PSD2, and tokenisation projects, and is the author of numerous publications in the field.
“The authorisation of AMINA (Austria) AG represents an important milestone for the European crypto-asset market. MiCA provides a clear and harmonised framework that allows regulated providers to scale their innovative financial services safely and efficiently across the EU. We are proud to have guided AMINA on this pioneering journey.” – Dr Oliver Völkel, LL.M., Partner, CERHA HEMPEL
Eckehard Stolz, Managing Director of AMINA EU adds: “We always felt that Oliver and his team gave us excellent advice. In addition to the purely licensing aspects, Oliver also helped us to shape our product vision for discerning professional investors and B2B partners into legally compliant solutions and contracts.”