ABN AMRO boosts digital innovation with MiCAR licence and Smart Derivatives
- Innovation
Marieke Ziedses des Plantes
Sr Press Officer Corporate Banking, WM, Personal & BB
ABN AMRO is accelerating its digital innovation approach with two major milestones. The German subsidiary of the bank, Hauck Aufhäuser Digital Custody, has secured a MiCAR licence, enabling crypto custody services for institutional clients under the new EU regulatory framework. At the same time, ABN AMRO has completed its first international Smart Derivative Contract (SDC) transaction in collaboration with DZ BANK, using blockchain technology to reduce contract risks and improve efficiency.
Yorick Naeff, Head of Innovation, per 1 February 2026, at ABN AMRO: "Executing our first international over-the-counter (OTC) SDC trade and securing a pan-European MiCAR licence underscores ABN AMRO's commitment to embedding digital innovation into our service offering. Delivering premium solutions in this area for our clients is at the heart of our growth ambitions across Europe."
Dr. Miguel Vaz, General Manager of Hauck Aufhäuser Digital Custody: “With the MiCAR license, we have secured the regulatory foundation essential for the future, enabling us to systematically expand our business model. We will continue to pursue this path consistently in close collaboration with our business partners.”
Matthias Bergner, Head of Treasury DZ Bank: “With the first international SDC transaction, we have taken a decisive step toward establishing the SDC as an industry-wide standard for the digital settlement of OTC derivatives. With the SDC, we are creating a blueprint for fully digital financial instruments that generate added value – in the case of the SDC, this is the reduction of counterparty risks.”
MiCAR licence sets stage for broader digital asset services
Hauck Aufhäuser Digital Custody GmbH (HADC) has received authorisation from Germany’s financial regulator BaFin under the new EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR). This allows HADC to offer crypto custody and transaction services to institutional clients under a single EU-wide framework MiCAR, effective since 30 December 2024, establishes harmonised rules for crypto services across the EU. With its MiCAR license, HADC can manage and safeguard crypto assets on behalf of clients and will be able to offer these services through passporting in other EU member states in the future.
As one of the first companies to obtain a MiCAR license, HAL will maintain its focus on institutional clients and pursue further growth under ABN AMRO’s umbrella.
Accelerate digital innovation
In collaboration with DZ Bank, ABN AMRO has traded an over-the-counter (OTC) derivative internationally for the first time using a Smart Derivative Contract (SDC). A significant milestone in financial technology: the trade was live for 10 days and fully automated, successfully executing settlement and collateral management based on the distributed ledger technology (DLT) used by DZ Bank. The daily payment was fully automated, processed instantly via SEPA, and confirmed back to the smart contract, ensuring speed and transparency throughout the transaction. From initiation to termination, all steps - including valuation and collateral settlement - were processed on blockchain. This eliminates collateral disputes by utilizing pre-agreed market data and interest rate curves, ensuring streamlined daily settlements. The approach is paving the way for more efficient and cost-effective operations.
Derivatives are primarily used by companies and financial institutions to hedge risks, but the trade lifecycle management of these financial instruments is usually complex and expensive. An SDC maps the entire life cycle of a financial product - including automated market data delivery and integrated valuation methodology for the underlying derivative.