Germany's Sparkassen savings-bank network began offering retail crypto trading through DekaBank in the App Sparkasse on Oct. 19. Only participating savings banks offer it, and customers pay €0.99 per trade plus a spread. Withdrawals go only to approved custodians.
Germany's Sparkassen network began offering retail cryptocurrency trading through DekaBank in the App Sparkasse on Oct. 19. Customers at participating institutions can reach bitcoin and four other tokens inside their banking app.
The service supports bitcoin, ether, XRP, solana and Polygon's POL token. Maximilian Wirth, who said he accompanied the project at the German Savings Banks Association (DSGV), said more than 230 savings banks had expressed interest in introducing it.
Only participating savings banks offer access
Deka's directory lists five participating banks: Frankfurter Sparkasse, Sparkasse Rottal-Inn, Niederrheinische Sparkasse RheinLippe, Taunus Sparkasse and Sparkasse Karlsruhe. The launch does not automatically extend across the network, which DSGV counts at 337 institutions as of August 2026.
Customers open a separate crypto account with DekaBank through the app's "Anlegen," or investing, section. Deka supplies the trading quotes and holds the assets, so customers do not need an account at an outside crypto exchange.
A €0.99 fee plus a spread
Deka's price schedule sets a €0.99 charge for each purchase or sale, with no minimum order and a maximum of €250,000 per transaction. Custody is free.
The fee is not the whole cost. Deka provides a time-limited quote based on a market reference price plus its own spread, and the bank says pricing can change for larger orders or during heightened volatility.
Withdrawals limited to approved providers
Deka holds customers' private keys and pools their assets in omnibus wallets, according to its custody disclosure. Retail customers cannot deposit crypto acquired elsewhere, and the assets do not qualify for statutory deposit insurance.
Withdrawals are restricted to wallets at approved crypto service providers, which excludes direct transfers to a personal self-custody wallet. Deka's October list names Crypto Finance (Deutschland), Tangany, Börse Stuttgart Digital Custody and Bullish Europe.
Source: The Defiant
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