Banco Santander SA's online bank Openbank has started offering retail cryptocurrency trading, marking the latest push by a large European financial institution into the asset class.
Starting Tuesday, the bank will allow its retail clients in Germany to trade Bitcoin, Ether, Litecoin, Polygon and Cardano, Santander said in a statement. Openbank will expand the number of available tokens over the coming months.
The service will be rolled out to Openbank's customers in Spain in coming weeks, the statement said. Bloomberg News earlier reported on the banking group's plans to offer cryptocurrency trading.
Santander's efforts are the latest example of how European banks are starting to venture more deeply into the digital assets sector, months after the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation was fully implemented. It mirrors developments in the US, where President Donald Trump's vocal support for the industry and new stablecoin legislation have prompted major lenders to ponder issuing such tokens.
Santander also has early-stage plans to offer a stablecoin, Bloomberg reported in May. Stablecoins are typically designed to maintain a constant value against a traditional asset like the dollar. They've risen in popularity over the past year as regulatory frameworks were adopted around the world.
"By incorporating the main cryptocurrencies into our investment platform, we are responding to the demand of some of our customers," Coty de Monteverde, head of crypto at Grupo Santander, said in the statement.
Openbank will charge a fee of 1.49% on trades — with a minimum of €1 ($1.18) per transaction — and no custody fees.
BayFirst Financial, which has reported problems with SBA loans, expects to reach an agreement with its regulators in connection with credit administration and other issues.
A report from J.D. Power indicates that the neobank Chime gained the highest percentage of newly opened checking accounts in the third quarter of 2025.
The court upheld the Federal Reserve Board's right to block Custodia from direct access to its payment systems. The bank is considering asking for a rehearing.
The Tacoma, Washington-based bank, which has completed two mergers since 2023, said Thursday that it will buy back up to $700 million of its own shares over the next year.
New York State's former top regulator Adrienne A. Harris has rejoined Sullivan & Cromwell as of counsel and senior policy advisor; Founders Bank appointed Karen Grau to its board of directors; Deutsche Bank's DWS Group is opening an office in Abu Dhabi; and more in this week's banking news roundup.
Earned wage access provider EarnIn, which historically has been known for direct-to-consumer EWA, is now integrating its services with payroll providers. The move comes as consumer advocate groups step up efforts for stricter regulation of the industry.
