The French banking group BPCE - umbrella organisation of Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Épargne - is integrating the trading of digital assets directly into its retail banking services for the first time.
Around two million retail clients will initially gain access to cryptocurrencies through the regular banking app. This positions BPCE among the first major European institutions to enable crypto trading without external platforms. Through a dedicated digital asset account, customers can trade Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and USDC. The service will first be rolled out gradually and later extended to the entire customer base.
Integrated solution within the banking ecosystem
The new service is offered through the in-house digital asset unit Hexarq. The account is managed within the BPCE apps, eliminating the need to switch to external crypto exchanges. Customers trade cryptocurrencies within the familiar user interface and continue using their existing bank account. The bank aims to provide access to all roughly 12 million retail clients by 2026 at the latest. The fee structure includes a monthly account management fee of around 3 euros and trading fees of 1.5% per transaction.
At launch, the offering includes four digital assets: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and the dollar stablecoin USDC. Additional assets may be added depending on demand and regulatory developments. The trading solution targets both beginners and experienced users, with custody, compliance and risk management provided directly by the bank. This differentiates the service from many fintech apps that offer crypto trading as an external add-on product.
Initial user experiences and market reactions
Immediately after the start of the pilot phase, early customers reported positive experiences with the new service: the purchase process within the banking app worked largely smoothly and delivered the familiar convenience of online banking. Users particularly praised that wallet management and custody are handled by the regulated subsidiary Hexarq, meaning they do not have to deal with private keys. For the market, the launch by Groupe BPCE signals that digital assets can increasingly be considered a standard component of financial services - no longer a niche product, but a standardised option within retail banking.
With this step, BPCE is responding to rising customer demand for digital assets and growing competition from specialised crypto brokers. The integrated approach could become a reference model for traditional financial institutions aiming to offer cryptocurrencies under a regulated framework. At the same time, the decision illustrates that crypto trading is increasingly moving into the mainstream of the European banking system - and is no longer limited exclusively to specialised platforms.
