Taurus SA, the digital asset infrastructure platform serving major financial institutions including Deutsche Bank, Santander, and State Street, has secured a MiFID II investment firm license for its Cyprus-based subsidiary, Taurus (Europe) Ltd.
The authorization from the Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) marks a pivotal moment for European capital markets, as Taurus becomes the first pure institutional infrastructure provider—rather than a consumer-facing exchange—to secure MiFID approval across the European Union.
The license allows Taurus to offer regulated investment services for tokenized financial instruments, including bonds, equities, fund shares, and structured products. Crucially, these services can now be passported across all 27 EU member states, providing a unified regulatory framework for banks and asset managers as they move from pilot programs into production.
Regulatory clarity ahead of the MiCA “cliff”
The timing of the authorization is critical. The Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) transitional period is set to end on July 1, 2026, after which unlicensed digital asset providers must cease operations in the EU. Regulators have already begun cracking down; in France, the AMF recently flagged 90 crypto firms operating without necessary licenses.
Unlike most digital asset firms chasing basic Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) authorizations under MiCA, Taurus opted for a MiFID-based framework. This choice reflects the platform’s focus on tokenized securities, which are governed by existing financial services law once structured as financial instruments. By securing MiFID status, Taurus can now support the entire lifecycle of tokenized assets—from issuance and custody to secondary market activity—under a single, high-tier regulatory perimeter.
A push for European digital sovereignty
The move arrives as European banks and policymakers increasingly advocate for independence from U.S. financial infrastructure. KBC, a Taurus client, recently joined a 12-bank European consortium (Qivalis) to launch a MiCAR-compliant euro stablecoin, aimed at breaking away from U.S. payments dominance. Taurus now positions itself as the regulated “supply-side” infrastructure supporting this broader push for European digital asset sovereignty.
With BDO identifying 2026 as the year tokenization moves from “pilot to production,” the multi-trillion-dollar market is beginning to take shape. The new license complements Taurus’s existing FINMA securities firm license obtained in 2021, giving the platform a fully regulated presence across both Switzerland and the European Union.
Sébastien Dessimoz, co-founder and managing partner at Taurus, noted that the license is a cornerstone of the firm’s European strategy. “It allows us to support EU-based entities within a clear regulatory framework as they scale their digital and tokenized asset activities,” Dessimoz stated. As the ECB’s tokenized settlement system prepares to go live later this month, Taurus stands as a key partner for institutions looking to navigate the new era of digital capital markets.
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