German Sparkassen Launch Bitcoin Trading in Their Banking App

Germany's Sparkassen savings banks have started rolling out crypto trading inside their banking app. According to Forklog, retail clients at the first participating branches can buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana and Polygon. The fee is €0.99 per order plus the bid-ask spread.

Details

The service is branded "Krypto powered by Deka." DekaBank provides the offering and holds the assets in custody, while Börse Stuttgart supplies the trading infrastructure. Private keys stay with DekaBank rather than the customer. BTC-Echo reports that withdrawals are limited to addresses at approved crypto service providers, and transfers to hardware wallets are not yet supported.

The rollout is gradual: 30⁠–⁠40 more savings banks are expected to join each month, with the aim of connecting a large share of interested institutions by the first half of 2027. More than 230 Sparkassen, roughly two-thirds of the network, have shown interest. DSGV board member Joachim Schmälzl stressed that each Sparkasse decides on its own when to start. The banks will warn customers about volatility and the risk of total loss, and say they will not actively market the product or give investment advice on crypto.

What it means for the market

Sparkassen are Germany's largest retail banking network, so their customers can now buy BTC without opening a separate exchange account. Germans already have access to crypto through N26, Trade Republic, Revolut and Volksbanken, so this widens access more than it creates a new market. How many clients will actually use it is unknown, as the banks have not disclosed figures.

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