ING Deutschland, Germany’s largest retail bank, now lets customers buy crypto products that track bitcoin ether and solana right from their bank linked securities accounts.
These products are genuine crypto-backed exchange-traded products issued by heavyweights such as 21Shares, Bitwise and VanEck, the bank’s website says, adding that these alternative investment vehicles mirror coin movements and trade on legitimate exchanges via the bank’s Direct Depot setup. The depository is a securities account offered by ING-DiBa that allows users to trade stocks, ETFs and funds and is designed for online, self-directed investors.
The website describes these crypto ETFs as easy entry points that plug right into your day-to-day banking while bypassing the hassle of using wallets or keys.
The new offering underscores growing demand for the digital asset, with everyday investors shrugging off bitcoin’s wild price swings for long-term bets. Deutsche Bank study shows Germany’s retail crypto adoption hit 9% by 2025 – lagging behind US’s 12%
Martijn Rozemuller, CEO of VanEck Europe, said the collaboration with ING Deutschland offers a low-threshold access to crypto investments.
“Many investors want a solution that fits into existing custody structures and at the same time convinces with transparent costs. That’s exactly what this partnership stands for – it brings crypto exposure to where investors already invest: in their securities account,” he said, according to the translated version of the press release.
Note that these crypto products get the same tax breaks in Germany as owning bitcoin directly: hold over a year and still get capital gains tax.
