International law firm Simmons & Simmons has advised IG, the world’s leading derivatives broker, on obtaining its licence for trading crypto-assets under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) Regulation – paving the way for the expansion of its business model to include the compliant trading of crypto-assets such as Bitcoin and Ether.
With its new licence, IG can now offer its customers innovative and secure solutions for the trading and custody of digital assets – a significant step towards the integration of crypto-assets into the evolving financial landscape.
IG is a leading player in international derivatives trading, with access to over 17,000 markets. By expanding its service offering to include digital assets, it enables its customers to invest in crypto-assets directly within their familiar app environment, seamlessly connecting traditional and digital assets.
The Simmons & Simmons team provided comprehensive support throughout the entire licensing process – from strategic advice and preparation of application documents to successful communication with BaFin, Germany’s financial supervisory authority.
The team’s expertise in digital assets and regulatory requirements was instrumental in ensuring that IG is among the few providers in Germany to have received MiCAR authorisation to date.
The Simmons & Simmons team was led by Partners Jochen Kindermann (Frankfurt) and George Morris (London), supported by Lena Schäfer (Managing Associate, Frankfurt) and Noujan Akbari (Associate, Frankfurt). The team provided IG with comprehensive advice on the notification procedure and the introduction of crypto-asset trading.
Jochen Kindermann, Partner at Simmons & Simmons, commented: “It was a pleasure to support IG in securing its MiCAR licence application, enabling the expansion of its innovative digital asset offering. This mandate underscores our market-leading expertise in guiding institutions through the transformation towards Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT). Our team is committed to supporting leading clients like IG in the structuring and implementation of digital business models, whether through MiCAR notifications, tokenisation, or the adoption of complex AI-driven solutions.”
