Germany’s most traditional banks are finally letting customers trade cryptocurrencies. Several cooperative and savings banks are launching crypto trading services for millions of retail clients.
DZ Bank secured a MiCA license from BaFin in December 2025. It already offers a platform where traders can buy Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Cardano. Around 650 cooperative banks exist in Germany, and over 71% have shown interest in providing crypto services through this platform.
DekaBank is building its own crypto trading platform for the savings bank network, serving roughly 50 million customers. This platform is scheduled to launch later this year. Each local bank will decide individually whether to offer these crypto services.
The EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation (MiCA) replaced fragmented national rules with a single licensing framework. This regulatory clarity makes it easier for banks to offer custody, order execution, transfers, and brokerage under a formal rulebook.
Despite the expansion, Germany’s savings banks association warns that crypto trading suits only self-directed investors who understand the risks. “Crypto trading is intended only for self-directed investors who understand those risks,” the association stated. Ralf Kölbach, head of Westerwald Bank, added, “Life and its risks cannot be fully insured.”
Germany’s crypto tax treatment still allows private disposals to be tax-free after one year of holding. However, a March 2025 Finance Ministry guidance clarified that exchanging crypto restarts the one-year clock. Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil linked the 2027 budget to potential changes in crypto taxation, but no final law has passed.
The Sparkassen group’s entry could open crypto trading to a population the size of South Korea’s. Claus Reder, board member at Volksbank Raiffeisenbank Würzburg, said, “Now, trading takes place in a familiar environment.”
Meanwhile, Bitcoin recently reclaimed the $61,000 level after Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh said inflation risks had eased while maintaining the 2% target. The broader digital asset world continues evolving as tokenization expands, highlighted by Tradeweb’s July 1, 2026, real-time onchain U.S. Treasury transaction paired with tokenized cash on the Canton Network.
The International Monetary Fund published a blog on July 2, 2026, titled “Tokenization Can Change the World’s Financial Architecture.” It warned policy choices will decide whether tokenization strengthens or fragments the financial system.
Based on
- Germany’s most conservative banks are about to let millions of customers buy Bitcoin — thenextweb.com
- From skeptics to enablers, German banks warm up to crypto — cryptobriefing.com
- German local banks expand crypto trading to millions of retail customers — ng.investing.com
- German Local Banks Prepare Crypto Trading As Tax Break Faces 2027 Review — cryptoadventure.com
- Several local banks in Germany plan to launch cryptocurrency trading services for retail customers, expected to go live in the coming months. | Bitget News — bitget.com
