Timeline
- 7.5
Germany’s main savings bank network launches Bitcoin trading
Germany's Sparkassen savings bank network has launched Bitcoin trading, giving retail customers direct access to BTC through established banking infrastructure rather than a separate crypto exchange account, CryptoSlate reported. The Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe is the largest financial services group in Germany and Europe by assets, so offering BTC through its retail banking channel puts direct Bitcoin access inside one of the region's most conservative banking networks. Sparkassen operate as public-law institutions (Anstalten des öffentlichen Rechts) under municipal or regional trusteeship, combining decentralized governance with a shared institutional framework. Trading is integrated into the banks' digital banking platforms, so customers reach the digital asset market through their existing bank accounts.
- 8.0
German savings banks begin phased rollout of cryptocurrency trading services
Germany's savings banks (Sparkassen) began a phased rollout on Oct. 19 allowing customers of the first participating institutions to trade cryptocurrencies through their existing Sparkasse apps, according to the German Savings Banks and Giro Association (DSGV). The initial lineup covers BTC, ETH, XRP, SOL and POL, with each savings bank setting its own go-live date and 30 to 40 additional institutions expected to join each month. The move opens regulated retail crypto trading inside Germany's dominant local banking network, which DSGV's own website counted at 337 independent savings banks as of August 2026, with the association targeting coverage of most interested institutions by the first half of 2027. The service is provided by DekaBank, the group's securities services provider, with crypto assets custodied by DekaBank in cooperation with the Stuttgart Stock Exchange, at a fee of about €0.99 (US$1.11) per order. DSGV said the offering targets customers who want to buy, sell and custody crypto themselves; the savings banks will not provide investment advice or market the service broadly, and will explicitly warn of sharp price swings and the risk of total loss.