Germany's Sparkassen savings banks began offering crypto trading inside their banking app on October 19, 2026. The service covers five tokens and runs through DekaBank, but the assets carry no statutory deposit insurance and customers cannot withdraw to any wallet they choose.
Germany's Sparkassen savings banks launched crypto trading on October 19, 2026, letting customers at select institutions buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP, Solana and Polygon from the Sparkasse app. The service, called "Krypto, powered by Deka," runs through DekaBank, and more banks are expected to join in phases.
Customers open a dedicated crypto account with DekaBank in the app's investment section, so they need no conventional securities brokerage account. The savings banks will not give crypto investment advice, and each bank decides on its own whether and when to introduce trading.
DekaBank charges €0.99 per order plus spreads
The reported order charge is €0.99 per transaction. The fixed fee does not cover every cost, because DekaBank's quoted prices can include a spread between buying and selling rates.
DekaBank offers a binding price for a limited period before each trade. Customers can review the quote in the app, but the price may no longer be available once that period expires.
Custody stays with the bank
Buyers do not control the private keys. According to DekaBank's documentation, the bank holds the keys on customers' behalf through a jointly managed omnibus wallet, with infrastructure support from Boerse Stuttgart Digital.
Withdrawals are allowed only to wallet addresses belonging to certain approved crypto-asset service providers. That sets the service apart from self-custody, where an investor manages the keys directly.
DekaBank also states that crypto is not covered by statutory deposit insurance, and its risk information warns that investors may lose their entire investment.
Rollout starts with five banks
The launch covers only a small part of the network. Five savings banks took part initially: Frankfurter Sparkasse, Taunus Sparkasse, Sparkasse Karlsruhe, Sparkasse Rottal-Inn and Niederrheinische Sparkasse RheinLippe.
More than 230 savings banks have reportedly expressed interest. The network plans to add approximately 30 to 40 institutions each month, and most participants are expected to offer the service by the first half of 2027.
Source: crypto.news
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