TL;DR
- DZ Bank receives MiCA license to launch retail crypto trading platform.
- The ‘meinKrypto’ service will integrate directly into the VR Banking App.
- Over 71% of German cooperative banks show interest in offering crypto services.
Germany’s second-largest bank, DZ Bank, received regulatory approval to operate a cryptocurrency trading platform for retail clients. The supervisory authority BaFin granted the license under the European Union’s MiCA framework. The bank will soon launch the platform called ‘meinKrypto’.
The platform will integrate directly into the VR Banking App. It will offer users the ability to trade several crypto assets. These include Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Cardano. The service specifically targets self-directed investors. Trading cryptocurrencies is not part of the bank’s financial advisory services.
A Step Toward Mainstream Retail Adoption
DZ Bank developed meinKrypto for the primary institutions of the German cooperative financial group. The bank stated the platform will be available to these institutions shortly. “This will allow each individual entity to offer its retail customers the opportunity to trade cryptocurrencies,” the bank said.
To offer the service, each local cooperative bank, whether a Volksbank or a Raiffeisenbank, must now apply to BaFin for a specific MiCA notification. This notification is for the digital wallet integrated into the VR Banking app. Once they receive authorization and implement the service, their customers can begin investing in cryptocurrencies completely digitally.
A study from September 2025 by the sector association, Genoverband, reveals broad interest in this service. More than 71% of cooperative banks in Germany show interest in offering crypto asset services to private customers. This figure indicates a clear trend within the country’s traditional banking system.
Securing the MiCA license in late December marks a shift for the Frankfurt-based bank. DZ Bank already partnered with Boerse Stuttgart Digital since 2024 to provide crypto services to institutional clients. The new license now expands its reach to the retail market. This aligns with a broader trend in Germany, where several traditional financial entities are entering the crypto asset space under the regulated MiCA framework.
The entry of a major player like DZ Bank into the retail sphere suggests crypto assets are advancing from a phase of institutional experimentation toward more widespread financial infrastructure. Another cooperative group, DekaBank, debuted trading and custody services for institutions in early 2025. DZ Bank’s approval consolidates this path of adoption within the established financial system.
