HADC secures MiCAR license and completes its first international SDC transaction
18 December 2025 Germany, Netherlands
Image: Ameer/stock.adobe.com
ABN AMRO’s German subsidiary, Hauck Aufhäuser Digital Custody (HADC), has secured an EU Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) licence, enabling crypto custody services for institutional clients under the new EU regulatory framework.
This allows HADC to offer crypto custody and transaction services to institutional clients under a single EU-wide framework.
ABN AMRO has also completed its first international Smart Derivative Contract (SDC) transaction in collaboration with DZ BANK, using blockchain technology to reduce contract risks and improve efficiency.
In collaboration with DZ Bank, ABN AMRO has traded an over-the-counter (OTC) derivative internationally for the first time using an SDC.
The trade was live for 10 days and fully automated and executed settlement and collateral management based on the distributed ledger technology (DLT) used by DZ Bank.
From initiation to termination, all steps — including valuation and collateral settlement — were processed on blockchain.
Yorick Naeff, head of Innovation (per 1 February 2026) at ABN AMRO: “Executing our first international 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 HADC, adds: “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, comments: “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.”
This allows HADC to offer crypto custody and transaction services to institutional clients under a single EU-wide framework.
ABN AMRO has also completed its first international Smart Derivative Contract (SDC) transaction in collaboration with DZ BANK, using blockchain technology to reduce contract risks and improve efficiency.
In collaboration with DZ Bank, ABN AMRO has traded an over-the-counter (OTC) derivative internationally for the first time using an SDC.
The trade was live for 10 days and fully automated and executed settlement and collateral management based on the distributed ledger technology (DLT) used by DZ Bank.
From initiation to termination, all steps — including valuation and collateral settlement — were processed on blockchain.
Yorick Naeff, head of Innovation (per 1 February 2026) at ABN AMRO: “Executing our first international 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 HADC, adds: “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, comments: “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.”
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