Turnaround: Savings Banks and Cooperative Banks Open Up to Cryptocurrency Trading
German savings banks and cooperative banks have shed their previous reluctance towards cryptocurrency trading. In the future, millions of private customers will be able to use specially developed platforms.
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German savings banks and cooperative banks have thrown off their previous reluctance regarding cryptocurrency trading. In the future, millions of private customers will be able to use specially developed platforms.
In 2021, savings banks considered entering the cryptocurrency trading market. However, the plans were shelved due to unpredictable risks. Now, the traditionally conservative savings banks and cooperative banks are opening up to crypto trading.
Crypto Regulation Minimizes Risks
The trigger is the Mica regulation (Markets in Crypto-Assets), which has been in effect since the end of 2024, bringing legal clarity and uniform standards for crypto trading in the EU. According to Beincrypto, this regulation has minimized the risks.
End of December 2025, the Meinkrypto platform of DZ Bank received a license from the financial supervisory authority Bafin. This platform is already integrated into the VR banking app of the Volksbanken Raiffeisenbanken. In May 2026, the first cooperative primary institution, VR-Bank Würzburg, started trading through Meinkrypto.
Dekabank Works on Savings Bank Solution
According to Bloomberg, in addition to the DZ Bank solution for cooperative banks, a similar platform from Dekabank for German savings banks is in the works. The launch is expected to occur gradually throughout 2026.
Each of the nearly 1,000 institutions with up to 80 million customers will be able to decide for itself whether to offer crypto trading as a service. At least among cooperative banks, interest is reportedly high according to DZ Bank. Hundreds of institutions would like to enable their private customers to trade cryptocurrencies over time, as reported by investing.com.
So far, only about a quarter of Germans have invested in cryptocurrencies. The initiative from their banks could change this. According to a survey cited in the report by Boerse Stuttgart Digital, Germans trust their house bank twice as much as dedicated crypto platforms.
Problematic Trust in House Banks
Critical voices see this trust as problematic. Co-Pierre Georg, a professor at the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management, explained to Bloomberg that traditional bank customers may not fully grasp the risks. "It is concerning that savings banks and cooperative banks are now opening the gates to the cryptocurrency market," said Co-Pierre Georg.
The Savings Bank Association DSGV describes trading in cryptocurrencies as a highly speculative investment, where total loss is possible, as Beincrypto writes. Accordingly, the offer is primarily aimed at self-determined investors.
