Germany's largest banking group, Sparkassen, plans to offer cryptocurrency trading services to retail customers by the summer of 2026. The decision reverses Sparkassen's 2023 stance, when it called digital assets 'highly speculative' and avoided crypto products.

Sparkassen's crypto offering will be powered by its subsidiary Dekabank, which already holds a licence from Germany's financial regulator BaFin. The new platform will let customers trade major tokens like Bitcoin and Ethereum, expanding beyond institutional services.

The move follows the introduction of the EU's MiCA framework, which has provided banks across Europe with legal clarity to pursue crypto services. Demand for regulated digital asset access has already been seen through products like Borse Stuttgart's Bison app and similar banking initiatives.

Although interest continues to grow, German regulators remain cautious. The country's financial watchdog received over 8,700 suspicious activity reports related to crypto in 2024-its highest figure to date.