Amina Bank’s Austrian subsidiary has become the first banking group to secure a MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) licence, a defining moment that signals a new era for digital finance in Europe.
For years, the crypto sector has operated under fragmented national rules. MiCA replaces that patchwork with a single, harmonised regulatory framework across all 27 EU member states.
This provides the clarity institutions need to develop compliant digital-asset services that meet the standards of traditional banking.
Amina’s approval shows that digital assets can now sit within a trusted, regulated environment, a milestone that will accelerate institutional adoption.
Broadgate’s Callum Dudrenec, Head of Crypto and Digital Assets, explores the broader implications of this (and what it means for the talent market) in more detail below.
From Regulation to Opportunity
MiCA’s most transformative feature is its passporting mechanism. Once authorised in one EU country, a licensed firm can offer regulated crypto services, including custody, trading, portfolio management and staking, across the entire single market.
This creates opportunities for financial institutions to scale rapidly and compete more directly with fintechs and specialist digital-asset firms. Early movers like Amina are now positioned to shape the financial infrastructure of the future, using regulation as a growth driver rather than a limitation.
The Talent Behind Compliance
This shift has immediate consequences for the talent market, particularly for those hiring or seeking jobs in compliance and digital finance. Financial institutions are expanding their compliance, risk, and legal teams to interpret MiCA’s capital, governance, and AML rules.
At the same time, organisations are increasing hiring for data jobs, product specialists, and engineers to develop secure and compliant digital-asset platforms.
Professionals who understand both regulatory frameworks and decentralised technology will experience the highest demand. This includes people who can translate legal requirements into practical systems, controls, processes, and customer-ready products.
Rising Skill Demands in Switzerland
Broadgate’s LinkedIn data highlights rapid growth in hybrid financial-services skill sets in Switzerland over the past 12 months:
Strategic Financial Management: +67%
IT Asset Management: +50%
Wealth Accumulation: +31%
Income Protection Insurance: +30%
Wealth Preservation Planning: +29%
Modern Portfolio Theory: +22%
Analytical Skills: +21%
These shifts reflect the merging of traditional and digital finance. Demand is rising for professionals with experience in payments, blockchain, data integrity, and digital-asset product development, as well as those ready to step into evolving data jobs supporting regulatory reporting and risk management.
In Switzerland, where private banking, fintech and crypto expertise already coexist, this convergence is accelerating. Firms are increasingly seeking talent capable of guiding clients through a more complex digital economy backed by institutional-grade standards, compliance and cross-border reach.
What Employers Should Do Next
To remain competitive, employers should:
- Map MiCA obligations to roles and assign clear ownership across governance, risk, AML, capital, and client-asset protection
- Build cross-functional “product × engineering × compliance” squads with clear decision rights
- Invest in data foundations, controls, and reporting capabilities to support compliant scale
- Upskill teams in crypto-asset custody, key management, market-abuse prevention, and third-party risk
- Hire ahead of demand, especially across risk, regulatory, and data roles
Many organisations are already partnering with compliance recruiting firms to secure talent with the rare combination of digital-asset knowledge and regulatory expertise.
Looking Ahead
MiCA marks the institutionalisation of digital assets in Europe. It sets higher standards, fuels innovation through passporting, and is redefining the skills needed across compliance, technology, data and product. Regulatory readiness is now inseparable from talent readiness.
The organisations that move early to build strong compliance and data teams will be the ones that shape Europe’s future digital-finance landscape.
At Broadgate, we support financial institutions across the DACH region as they prepare for this next phase, connecting expertise, compliance, and innovation at the centre of Europe’s digital future.
If you’re exploring opportunities in the crypto and digital-asset space, or hiring for jobs in compliance, data jobs, or digital-finance talent, we’re happy to share what we’re seeing across the market. To discuss talent trends or current roles, contact:
Callum Dudrenec: callum.dudrenec@broadgatesearch.com.