BISON by Boerse Stuttgart Group: The Trusted Gateway to Cryptocurrencies

BISON, launched in 2019, was founded to close a fundamental gap between traditional capital markets and the emerging crypto: trust. By combining exchange-grade governance with intuitive user experience, BISON makes cryptocurrencies accessible in a simple, smart and reliable way – fully aligned with Europe’s regulatory framework.  

Built on Regulatory Alignment and Based on Trust 

Trustworthy, Regulatory Alignment 

BISON is the first crypto  platform established by a traditional stock exchange group in Europe. Over the past six years, it has been reshaping the European financial landscape by  connecting capital markets with  digital assets in a secure, transparent and user-friendly environment. 

Central to  our approach is the consistent application of standards for investor protection, market integrity and operational resilience. BISON holds Germany’s first MiCAR licence issued by BaFin. This  is not just a headline; it’s a signal that onboarding, trading, custody and reporting meets the expectations of European investors.Importantly, BISON goes beyond regulation. All custodied cryptocurrencies are insured by a consortium led by Munich Re, one of the world’s leading reinsurers. This  ensures the highest standards of security, transparency and operational integrity.  

Market-infrastructure Design 

For digital assets to move beyond early adopters, they must be offered through structures that retail investors recognise, and institutions can integrate.  Within Boerse Stuttgart Group, BISON is the client-facing product, supported by dedicated custody and service entities  under internal oversight. This mirrors the functionally segregated approach of traditional market infrastructure, helping  allocate responsibilities, manage operational risk and ensure effective supervision. 

A key advantage of the entire ecosystem is that it’s “Made in Germany”. BISON meets the highest standards of data protection and financial security. Supported by renowned partner banks such as Solaris SE and Deutsche Bank AG, BISON offers a solid, stable foundation for digital  investing.  

Driving Crypto Adoption  

BISON’s approach has been successfully proven in the retail market. It  is the most popular crypto trading app in Germany and is  available to customers in 72 countries. Investors can trade more than 50 cryptocurrencies – including Bitcoin and Ethereum – as well as more than 2,500 stocks and ETFs. BISON also offers  insured crypto staking, giving private investors secure access to wider digital asset opportunities. 

In an environment of complexity and security concerns, BISON has more than 160 years of capital markets expertise. This provides trust, security and reliability. 

Retail investors often ask three simple questions:  

• How do I begin?  
  
  
• How are my assets held?  
  
  
• What happens if something goes wrong?  

BISON offers clear answers through transparent processes, regulated trading and secure custody.  

Custody is provided by Boerse Stuttgart Digital Custody GmbH, the first MiCAR-licensed company in Germany, and users who prefer self-custody can also do so securely and compliantly.   

From Retail Proof to Institutional Scale 

The infrastructure that  simplifies crypto for  retail investors also supports institutional investors - a B2B2C model.  

Boerse Stuttgart Group provides digital asset infrastructure to some of Europe’s largest financial institutions such as DZ Bank, Germany’s second-largest banking group, and the German Cooperative Banks. This has the potential to grant access to crypto for up to 30 million retail customers in Germany. The network also includes Intesa Sanpaolo, Italy’s largest bank.  

This shows that a retail-tested, regulated platform can be extended to institutional channels and reinforces our role as the gateway to regulated digital asset access across Europe. 

The crypto business accounts for  approximately 25 percent of Boerse Stuttgart Group’s total revenue, showing that crypto can be integrated seamlessly into an exchange group’s activities. 

Regulation Put Into Practice 

Regulation only matters when it’s implemented effectively. With BISON, Boerse Stuttgart Group demonstrates how to deliver MiCAR-compliant operations at scale through transparent onboarding, compliant custody and robust controls that reduce friction and builds trust.  

Institutional concerns mirror those of retail investors, albeit with greater emphasis on questions such as:  

• Does the infrastructure meet all regulatory expectations?
    
• Can it connect to existing compliance and risk frameworks?  
  
  
• Is the operational risk measurable and controllable?  

Designing the platform so that it can be integrated into existing systems helps reduce the friction and duplication that otherwise accompany new asset classes. It also makes supervision easier, because responsibilities are clear, and processes are auditable. 

A Blueprint for Mainstream Adoption 

BISON’s growth, together with the underlying infrastructure used by leading European financial institutions , presents a clear model for integrating digital assets into established  financial systems.  It shows that familiar market-structurescan support new asset classes, reducing barriers to trust and adoption. 

BISON is more than a crypto-trading app. It is a catalyst for responsible crypto adoption and a proven blueprint for integrating digital assets into Europe’s established financial ecosystem. It’s easy for users, institutional in governance, and aligned with the European regulatory framework.  

This is BISON’s mission: to bring digital assets within reach for retail  investors while providing institutions with a secure, compliant and scalable platform.