Protocols & Policy · Retail access
Germany's savings banks start rolling out crypto trading in their banking app
DekaBank's "Krypto – powered by Deka" puts five cryptocurrencies inside the Sparkasse app, rolling out bank by bank over the coming months at 0.99 euros an order.
Customers of Germany's savings banks may soon be able to buy bitcoin in the same app they use for their checking accounts, as DekaBank begins rolling out a crypto trading service to the Sparkassen. For many ordinary German savers, that would move crypto from specialist apps into their everyday bank.
The service, "Krypto – powered by Deka," starts with five cryptocurrencies: bitcoin, ether, Solana, XRP and Polygon, according to DekaBank's Oct. 19 release [1]. Each order costs 0.99 euros [1]. The rollout is gradual "over the coming months," and each Sparkasse decides on its own whether to add the service, the release says (Le Coin translation) [1].
The Sparkassen are Germany's savings banks, and DekaBank calls itself their securities house [1]. Deka says it received its licence from BaFin, Germany's financial regulator, in 2025 under MiCA, the EU's rulebook for crypto-asset firms and investor protection [1]. On its product page it describes itself as a notified crypto-asset service provider that holds customers' cryptocurrencies (Le Coin translation) [2].
How it works
Customers open a crypto account inside the Sparkasse app, in a separate section of its "Anlegen" (investing) area; a linked securities account is "not strictly necessary," according to the release (Le Coin translation) [1]. Deka's product page says the offer is advice-free and aimed only at self-directed investors, with "expressly no advice in the Sparkasse," and that the coins are held centrally at DekaBank (Le Coin translation) [2]. It is open to customers with a checking account at a participating Sparkasse [2].
The table below sets out the terms Deka has published.
| Item | Terms, per Deka |
|---|---|
| Coins at launch | BTC, ETH, SOL, XRP, POL [1][2] |
| Fee | 0.99 euros per order [1] |
| Access | Sparkasse app; securities account not strictly required [1] |
| Advice | None; self-directed investors only [2] |
| Custody | Centrally at DekaBank [2] |
| Rollout | Gradual; each Sparkasse opts in [1] |
The catch
Availability depends on each savings bank, so a customer's own Sparkasse may not offer it yet. Deka's page warns that strong price swings mean a high risk of losses (Le Coin translation) [2]. The fixed fee is not the only cost a buyer may face; Deka's page says each trade gets a binding price guaranteed by DekaBank for a limited time, and neither the release nor the product page says how that price compares with market rates [1][2].
What to watch
The tell is how many Sparkassen switch the service on, and whether Deka adds coins or discloses its pricing spread.
Sources
- DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale, "DekaBank startet Krypto-Angebot für Sparkassen-Kundinnen und -Kunden," press release, Frankfurt, Oct. 19, 2026, https://www.deka.de/deka-gruppe/media--research/aktuelle-medienmitteilungen/pressearchiv/archiv2026/september/dekabank-startet-krypto-angebot-fuer-sparkassen-kundinnen-und--kunden, accessed 2026-10-20, 6:12 a.m. ET.
- DekaBank, "Angebot – Deka Krypto," https://deka.de/krypto/angebot, accessed 2026-10-20, 6:09 a.m. ET.
Holding the Corner.
Not financial advice.