European banks seek exchange partners ahead of 2026 stablecoin launch

Qivalis, a consortium of major European banks, is in advanced talks with crypto exchanges and liquidity firms to distribute its planned euro-pegged stablecoin, Spanish business newspaper Cinco Días reported Monday.

The group, including banks such as ING, UniCredit, and the recent addition of BBVA, is moving toward the launch of a stablecoin in the second half of 2026, Cinco Días reported.

The consortium is now reportedly in advanced discussions with crypto exchanges, market makers and liquidity providers. The shareholder banks themselves will also be able to distribute the stablecoin.

The news comes months after the banks first announced the consortium in September 2025 with nine initial members, including ING, UniCredit, CaixaBank, Danske Bank, Raiffeisen Bank International, KBC, SEB, DekaBank and Banca Sella.

Qivalis is considering both European and international partners

Jan Sell, Qivalis CEO and former head of Coinbase in Germany, said the consortium is considering partnerships with both European and international platforms.

This aligns with the projects global vision and its priority to offer a “regulated, domestic alternative to US dollar-denominated stablecoins,” he noted.

Spanish bank BBVA joined Qivalis as its 12th member in early February. Source: Jan Sell

“Its essential for our core use cases, such as facilitating real-time, cross-border business-to-business payments and global trade,” he said.

The consortium is seeking partners that comply with European Union regulatory frameworks, including the bloc‘s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation. According to the report, Bit2Me, a MiCA-licensed exchange in Spain, is among the platforms that have held talks with one of the consortium’s banks.

During a presentation, Qivalis chief financial officer, Floris Lugt, reportedly said the stablecoins reserves will be backed 1:1, with at least 40% in bank deposits.

The remainder would be held in short-term, high-quality euro-area sovereign bonds to avoid concentration risk in any single country, he said. He also said the euro stablecoin will support 24/7 redemption for token holders.