Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, one of Europe’s largest banking networks, has unveiled plans to launch crypto trading services for its massive customer base by mid-2026—a striking reversal from its years-long anti-crypto stance.
According to Bloomberg, the banking giant’s subsidiary Dekabank will lead the rollout, integrating regulated digital asset trading directly into Sparkassen’s widely used app. This will enable more than 50 million customers to access crypto markets in a secure and regulated environment.
“The Savings Banks Finance Group will provide reliable access to a regulated crypto offering,” the German Savings Banks Association (DSGV) said in a statement.
Executives emphasized that the new service is being launched in response to rising customer demand and is fully compliant with the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, which took effect in December.
From Crypto Skeptics to Market Participants
Sparkassen’s pivot is especially notable given its long-held reservations about crypto. For years, the bank’s leadership cited volatility, regulatory uncertainty, and security concerns as reasons to avoid digital assets. In 2015, it even blocked customer transactions linked to crypto purchases.
While the group has softened its position, the DSGV made clear that skepticism remains.
“Our position remains clear: cryptocurrencies are highly speculative investments,” the association said.
Officials added there will be no marketing push, and customers will receive extensive warnings about the risk of “total loss.”
Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe’s network is sprawling, comprising over 370 individual savings banks and more than 500 affiliated companies, with total assets exceeding €2.5 trillion ($2.9 trillion).
The launch will make Sparkassen the latest major European institution to embrace crypto, as regulatory clarity and market demand push banks to adapt.
German Banks Race to Capture Crypto Market Share
Sparkassen isn’t alone in pursuing crypto integration. Over the past year, other top German banks have launched pilots or services aimed at both retail and institutional clients.
In September 2024, DZ Bank—Germany’s second-largest lender—began a crypto service pilot in partnership with Boerse Stuttgart Digital. The project is expected to expand across its network of 700 cooperative banks following the trial phase.
Meanwhile, Landesbank Baden-Württemberg, the country’s largest federal bank, announced a partnership with Austrian crypto exchange Bitpanda last year to offer crypto custody solutions to institutional clients.
Industry executives believe the rush is just beginning. At Paris Blockchain Week in April, Sygnum Bank’s Thomas Eichenberger and Messari CEO Eric Turner predicted that regulatory support for stablecoins and digital assets would fuel a new wave of crypto adoption by European banks in late 2025.
Eric Trump echoed that sentiment, warning in an April interview that traditional banks risk becoming obsolete within a decade if they fail to adapt to crypto.
Quick Facts
- Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe plans to launch crypto trading for 50 million customers by 2026.
- Dekabank will oversee the service rollout, fully compliant with MiCA regulations.
- The group historically opposed crypto, even banning purchases in 2015.
- Other German banks like DZ Bank and Landesbank Baden-Württemberg are also moving into crypto services.
