Openbank, the digital bank owned by Grupo Santander, launched cryptocurrency trading in Germany to meet growing customer demand. The service lets clients buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, Polygon, and Cardano directly on its platform under the European MiCA rules.
According to the press release, German customers can now trade these assets alongside their other investments without using third-party apps. The bank set a 1.49% fee for buying or selling, with a minimum charge of 1€, while custody is free. The service will expand to Spain in the coming weeks, adding more tokens and features such as crypto-to-crypto conversions.
Coty de Monteverde, head of crypto at Grupo Santander, said, “By incorporating the main cryptocurrencies into our investment platform, we are responding to the demand of some of our customers and continue to strengthen a broad range of products and services.”
The move adds to Openbank’s growing list of tools. The bank already offers automated investment through its Robo Advisor, thousands of stocks and funds, and a broker platform that uses artificial intelligence to give price targets for European and U.S. equities. Openbank serves over two million clients across Spain, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United States, and Mexico.
It is worth knowing that Santander has been testing crypto services for years. In 2018, it launched One Pay FX, a payments app powered by Ripple that allowed same-day transfers in countries like Spain, the UK, Brazil, and Poland. More recently, the bank explored entering the stablecoin market, looking into tokens pegged to the dollar and the euro.
Germany is fast becoming a hub for regulated digital asset services. For instance, DZ Bank started a crypto pilot in 2024. Meanwhile, Deutsche Bank is preparing a custody service with Bitpanda and Taurus for 2026, and Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe has announced plans to add retail trading for nearly 50 million customers by mid-2026.
Also Read: Circle Invests in HYPE and Launches USDC on Hyperliquid
