Named experts · Practitioner profile
Mark Branson
Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht (BaFin) ↗ · Germany, European Union
★ Editor's Watch — MiCA CASP, Crypto custody, Stablecoin issuance
About Mark
Mark Branson is President of BaFin (Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht), the German financial regulator with one of the most rigorous EU supervisor approaches to crypto-asset firms. Branson took the BaFin Presidency in August 2021 after serving as CEO of FINMA (Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority) from 2014 to 2021. His combined Swiss-German regulator experience covers crypto-bank licensing development (SEBA, Sygnum under FINMA) and MiCA implementation in Germany (KMAG framework). The combination makes him one of the most consequential EU regulator voices on crypto-asset firm supervision.
Editor's note
BaFin President with FINMA CEO heritage. Combined Swiss-German regulator-side perspective on crypto-asset firm supervision — most-respected EU supervisor positioning.
Practice fields
Credentials
- President, BaFin since August 2021
- Previously CEO, Swiss FINMA (2014-2021)
- Previously Head of Banks division, FINMA
- Architect of FINMA crypto-bank framework producing SEBA Bank and Sygnum Bank authorisations
Jurisdictions
Sources
Every entry on this page is sourced from public records. The references below are the evidence base for the practitioner's expertise claims.
- BaFin — Mark Branson President biography — firm bio
- FINMA — Historical leadership references — regulator
- Bloomberg — BaFin President public commentary on crypto regulation — industry press
Relevant guides
Knowledge-base coverage that overlaps with Mark's practice (Germany, European Union · MiCA CASP, Crypto custody, Stablecoin issuance).
Crypto brokerage · OTC desk · MiCA services
Crypto Broker License 2026 — OTC Desk and Brokerage Under MiCA
A crypto broker license under MiCA is built from CASP services — reception and transmission of orders, execution, and placing for an agency …
Qualifying holdings · CASP acquisitions
Qualifying Holdings Acquisitions 2026 — MiCA CASP Guide
MiCA's qualifying holdings framework governs notification and approval of any acquisition that brings a shareholder above 10%, 20%, 30%, or …
MiCA · CASP operations & lifecycle
CASP Operations and Lifecycle 2026 — MiCA Passport, Banking, Wind-Down
The CASP passport under MiCA Article 65 went operational in late 2024 — but a working passport is one part of running an authorised CASP. Th…
EU TFR · Travel Rule · 2026 implementation
EU Travel Rule, AML, Sanctions & DAC8 — CASP Compliance 2026
The EU AML, Travel Rule, sanctions and tax-reporting stack for CASPs in one place — TFR member-state implementation, self-hosted wallets, FA…
Crypto company formation · Cross-jurisdiction guide
Crypto Company Formation 2026: The Vehicle, the Capital, and the Licence
A cross-jurisdiction guide to forming the company behind a crypto business — Estonia OÜ, Lithuania UAB, Czech s.r.o., Ireland LTD, Poland sp…
Crypto casino · Gambling + crypto licensing
Crypto Casino License vs Gambling License 2026 — What Operators Need
Crypto casino operators face the intersection of gambling regulation and crypto-asset regulation. Some jurisdictions treat crypto casinos un…