Germany’s Sparkassen network started offering cryptocurrency trading through its banking app on Monday, with the service initially going live at five savings banks and priced at €0.99 per order. The rollout is being handled by DekaBank, the securities firm owned by the savings banks, under the label Krypto powered by Deka.
At launch, customers at participating Sparkassen can trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana and Polygon directly in the app without opening a securities account. The start marks a notable shift for the German savings bank sector, which had previously been reluctant to support crypto services.
Initial launch covers five savings banks
The first institutions to offer the service are Frankfurter Sparkasse, Taunus Sparkasse, Sparkasse Karlsruhe, Sparkasse Rottal-Inn and Niederrheinische Sparkasse RheinLippe. Access is not being switched on across the entire Sparkassen network at once, because each savings bank decides independently whether and when to participate.
According to the German Savings Banks Association, or DSGV, the plan is for 30 to 40 more banks to join each month. Its target is to connect a large share of interested Sparkassen during the first half of 2027.
Trading terms and custody model
Deka’s pricing sheet says there is no minimum order size, while the maximum for a single trade is €250,000. Orders are executed through a request-for-quote process, with customers receiving a binding price that is valid only for a limited period.
Custody is included without an additional fee. Deka holds customers’ private keys in trust using a shared omnibus wallet structure. Withdrawals are free, but they are restricted to four approved providers.
Limited product, no advisory service
The crypto offer is being positioned as an execution-only service rather than a broadly marketed investment product. The savings banks will not provide advice on crypto and do not plan to promote the service widely.
Customers who use it are shown explicit warnings about volatility and the possibility of a total loss. The article also notes that crypto holdings in the service are not protected by statutory deposit insurance.
Why Sparkassen changed course
The launch follows a policy reversal by the DSGV. The association had previously opposed crypto wallets, but in 2025 it changed course and assigned Deka to build the service.
The source says that customer demand and the European Union’s MiCA framework were behind that shift. The current rollout is therefore both a response to clients seeking crypto access and an attempt to provide it within the structure chosen by the Sparkassen group.
The next confirmed step is further expansion bank by bank. If the DSGV’s timetable holds, additional Sparkassen should continue joining monthly as the group works toward a broader rollout in the first half of 2027.
Source: cryptopotato.com