Germany's largest banking group, Sparkassen, will open Bitcoin trading: 50 million people will be able to buy crypto assets online by next summer.

According to Bloomberg, German savings bank group Sparkassen (Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe) plans to let 50 million private customers buy and sell cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin directly through an official app in the summer of 2026, reversing past stance of excluding cryptocurrency-related services. (Synopsis: Germany's Largest" Deutsche Bank: Evaluating the issuance of stablecoins and the tokenization of RWA deposits) (Background supplement: Get ahead of the United States!) Former German finance minister suggests: Europe, Bundesbank should include bitcoin in reserves) Traditional financial giants accept digital assets to add a new example. According to Bloomberg, the German public banking group Sparkassen (Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe) plans to let 50 million private customers buy and sell cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin directly through its official app in the summer of 2026, reversing the past stance of excluding cryptocurrency-related services and becoming another key event for European banks to embrace the crypto market. Motivation: Customer demand and competitive pressures Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe is Germany's largest banking group. Its parent DSGV (Association of German Savings Banks) announced this week that it will create a "reliable and regulated" crypto trading channel, with infrastructure provided by its securities company, DekaBank. The service is expected to be developed within a year and officially launched in the summer of 2026. The report pointed out that retail investors want to access digital assets at familiar banking interfaces, which has become the most direct incentive for Sparkassen to pivot. In this regard, Matthias Dießl, president of Sparkassen Bavaria, said in an interview in April: "We should provide customers with the possibility to trade cryptocurrencies at Sparkassen." At the same time, the cooperative banking system Volks-und Raiffeisenbanken is already working with Atruvia and the Stuttgart Stock Exchange to plan similar services. If it doesn't follow suit, Sparkassen risks losing young users and money. In addition, the MiCA Act, which came into effect in 2025, establishes uniform rules for crypto business in Europe, and in Germany, crypto custody and transactions can be provided throughout the country as long as the CASP license issued by BaFin (German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority) is obtained. Therefore, regulatory clarity also reduces the uncertainty of Sparkassen's entry. However, despite the shift to openness, DSGV has repeatedly reminded investors that "cryptocurrencies are highly speculative assets and investors may face total losses." Opportunities and challenges in the banking sector Sparkassen's decision reflects the new landscape of the German banking sector. Deutsche Bank focuses on regulated custody and stablecoins, and DZ Bank-led Genobanken is also preparing to bring crypto trading to the retail side. For most banks, challenges include rising compliance costs, the technical difficulty of integrating crypto services into existing IT systems, and a shift in internal culture from risk aversion to moderate innovation. Conversely, the opportunities are equally enormous. The study estimates that 27 million users will have access to crypto assets on the German retail side in 2025; Banks that offer secure, compliant products are expected to strengthen customer retention and open up new revenue streams. What is Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe? Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe is Germany's largest financial group consisting of around 390 local savings banks (Sparkassen), Landesbanken, DekaBank, etc., focusing on retail banking services and local economic development. At the heart of the group, Sparkassen is an independently operated local savings bank, supported by local governments, serving local residents and SMEs, with an emphasis on public welfare rather than pure profit. DSGV (Association of German Savings Banks) is the national coordinating body for Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, which formulates group strategies, represents members in dialogue with regulators such as BaFin, and provides technical support and deposit protection. DSGV co-ordinates Sparkassen's operations, ensuring they work together under a unified brand while maintaining their local identity. Related reports Germany's GDP has declined for two consecutive years, and scholars suggest "canceling national holidays" to fight the economy The German government ordered World Network to delete personal iris data collected by world coins: not in compliance with EU law Tether earnings report: net profit in the first half of the year reached a new high of $5.2 billion, U.S. debt holdings even exceeded Germany, the United Arab Emirates (Germany's largest banking group Sparkassen will open bitcoin trading: 50 million people can buy cryptocurrencies online next summer) This article was first published in BlockTempo's "Dynamic Trend - The Most Influential Blockchain News Media".