Ripple Expands BBVA Partnership to Power Crypto Custody Services in Spain
Ripple has expanded its partnership with BBVA, announcing that the Spanish banking giant will adopt Ripple Custody, the company’s institutional-grade digital asset self-custody technology, to power its retail crypto trading and custody service for bitcoin and ether in Spain. The move aligns with the EU’s new Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, which Ripple says is encouraging banks across Europe to roll out digital asset services that customers are increasingly demanding. BBVA highlighted that Ripple’s custody solution provides trusted, secure, and compliant infrastructure, enabling the bank to directly offer end-to-end custody services to its retail customers. The agreement builds on a long-standing collaboration between Ripple and BBVA, which already includes partnerships in Switzerland and Turkey, as well as joint work on real-time cross-border payment pilots. The announcement follows recent reports that BBVA has also taken on responsibilities as an independent custodian for Binance clients, further underscoring its growing role in digital asset infrastructure. Separately, BBVA is planning a series of shareholder engagement events across several Spanish regions, including Catalonia, Valencia, the Basque Country, Madrid, and Asturias, alongside virtual sessions, to provide updates and answer questions regarding its ongoing share exchange with Banco Sabadell.