Grupo Santander's digital bank Openbank is expanding in Europe, launching new services for German customers amid growing demand for crypto assets.
The bank announced on Tuesday that German customers can now buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), Polygon (POL), and Cardano (ADA) directly on its platform.
According to Santander Bank, the new service integrates cryptocurrencies with Openbank's existing investment products without the need for third-party platforms, operating under the European crypto asset market regulation (MiCA) framework.
The cryptocurrency trading service is planned to be rolled out to Spain in the coming weeks, along with additional token products and features such as cryptocurrency conversions.
Coty de Monteverde, head of cryptocurrency at Santander Group, stated that adding cryptocurrencies to its trading platform is a response to customer demand.
Headquartered in Spain, Santander Bank is one of the largest banks in Europe, with over 175 million customers in more than 40 countries, according to its website. Its fully digital subsidiary, Openbank, serves over 2 million customers in Spain, Germany, Portugal, the Netherlands, the United States, and Mexico.
This launch is not Santander Bank's first foray into the cryptocurrency space. In 2018, the bank launched the One Pay FX payment application based on Ripple technology, allowing retail customers in Spain, the UK, Brazil, and Poland to make same-day international transfers.
Recently, Santander Bank has been considering entering the stablecoin market, exploring retail cryptocurrency services and the potential launch of tokens pegged to the US dollar and euro.
Santander Bank's initiative is part of a broader shift in Germany, where the country's largest banks are preparing to integrate cryptocurrency services under the European MiCA framework.
One of the earliest movers is DZ Bank, Germany's second-largest bank, which is launching a cryptocurrency pilot project among 700 partner banks in September 2024 using the infrastructure of Börse Stuttgart Digital.
In July 2025, Deutsche Bank, Germany's largest bank, announced it would collaborate with Austria's Bitpanda and Swiss tech company Taurus to launch digital asset custody services in 2026, reviving plans first outlined in 2020.
Sabih Behzad, head of digital assets at Deutsche Bank, stated that the bank is considering entering the stablecoin market, either by issuing its own tokens or joining existing projects.
Recently, the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe announced plans to launch retail cryptocurrency trading through its Sparkasse app to nearly 50 million German customers by mid-2026, with support from DekaBank and Börse Stuttgart Digital.
Similar developments are occurring in the United States. Following the passage of the GENIUS Act in July 2025, several banks, including JPMorgan, Citigroup, and Bank of America, have begun exploring stablecoin issuance and retail cryptocurrency services.
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