The largest banking group in Germany, Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, is preparing for offering crypto-trading services to its retail customers in the summer of 2026, Bloomberg News reported on June 30.
The relocation represents an important policy shift for Sparkassen, which previously avoided crypto offers due to concerns about volatility and risk.
According to the report, the Bank Board of Directors voted in 2023 to prevent digital assets services, where cryptocurrencies were called ‘very speculative’. Now Sparkassen enables private customers to act leading tokens, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, directly from their accounts.
The full subsidiary of Sparkassen, Dekabank, will develop and manage the platform.
Dekabank has obtained a crypto granting permit under the German Bank Act of the Federal Financial Supervision Authority (BAFIN), allowing trade and storage services to institutional clients. The upcoming expansion of the Retail marks its next strategic milestone.
The decision follows the implementation of the EU markets in the regime regime of crypto-assets (MICA), which has set up a single, harmonized legal framework for crypto companies in EU member states.
Mica’s clarity has encouraged various European banks to accelerate crypto initiatives that were once deemed too risky according to fragmented national rules. However, German supervisors keep a close eye on crypto-related risks.
Bloomberg noted that the country’s anti-money laundering agency reported a record 8,711 suspected activity reports that was linked to crypto-transactions in 2024, even when the general crime warnings fell compared to previous years.
Officials have warned that digital assets remain an attractive channel for illegal flows despite improved compliance measures.
The entrance of Sparkassen in Retail Crypto Services reflects a wider European bank trend. The “Bison” app from Börse Stuttgart, together with similar initiatives from cooperative banks and Landesbank, as well as Deutsche Börse, has shown a strong question from retail investors to regulated crypto products in Germany.
The nearly 50 million retail customers of Sparkassen can significantly speed up the mainstream acceptance of digital assets in the largest economy in Europe.
