German banks add crypto trading to mobile apps for 80M users

Germany's two largest banking networks are integrating cryptocurrency trading directly into their existing mobile apps, a major reversal that will bring digital asset access to tens of millions of retail customers. The cooperative banks, through DZ Bank, and the savings banks, via DekaBank, are building in-house services rather than partnering with external exchanges, marking a significant shift toward mainstream adoption.

The initiative follows the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulatory framework, which provided the legal certainty needed for these traditionally conservative institutions. DZ Bank secured a license from Germany's financial regulator, BaFin, in late December 2025 for its "meinKrypto" platform. The service, which went live in January, is integrated into the VR Banking App and currently supports trading in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Cardano. Custody is handled by Boerse Stuttgart Digital, keeping the entire chain under German supervision. DekaBank is developing a comparable product for the nation's approximately 340 savings banks, with a phased rollout scheduled for later this year.

This represents a stark change in strategy. Just four...