Germany’s Commerzbank and DZ Bank Launch Bitcoin and Crypto Trading Services

Germany’s major banks, Commerzbank and DZ Bank, are launching Bitcoin and crypto trading services amid rising institutional interest.

Commerzbank, the country’s second-largest bank by branches, is offering Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) trading services for corporate clients through a new partnership with Crypto Finance, a subsidiary of Germany’s largest stock exchange operator.

This deal, reached just two weeks after a similar agreement with Zürcher Kantonalbank in Switzerland, will provide trading and custody services, initially focusing on these two major cryptocurrencies.

Commerzbank, which obtained a crypto custody license in November 2023, aims to offer secure, regulated digital asset services to its clients. “Our offering in digital assets, enables our corporate clients to seize the opportunities presented by bitcoin and ether for for the first time,” said Gernot Kleckner, head of capital markets for corporate clients at Commerzbank.

DZ Bank, Germany’s second-largest lender by assets, is giving its 700 cooperative bank clients access to cryptocurrencies through a collaboration with Boerse Stuttgart Digital. This will allow these banks to offer cryptocurrency trading and custody services to their retail customers. DZ Bank, which manages $627 billion in assets and launched a crypto custody platform last November, is rolling out a phased cryptocurrency trading pilot starting this year.

These developments follow Zurich Cantonal Bank’s recent introduction of retail Bitcoin and crypto services. Globally, major banks are increasingly adopting Bitcoin and crypto, spurred by the successful launch of the first U.S. Bitcoin ETFs.

DZ Bank’s new service will significantly broaden access to digital assets, making it easier for professional investors to diversify portfolios and manage risk. Commerzbank’s executive highlighted that their new digital asset services offer corporate clients opportunities in Bitcoin and Ether, representing a significant step toward integrating Bitcoin into European finance.

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