The second German banking entity democratizes the crypto market through MiCA: DZ Bank launches its trading platform

In a move that reflects the growing integration of cryptocurrencies into the traditional European financial system, DZ Bank — Germany’s second-largest bank — has received regulatory approval to offer digital asset trading services to retail customers. This milestone marks a significant shift in how established financial institutions understand and adopt blockchain technology under the MiCA framework.

What is MiCA and why does it represent a turning point?

The German regulator BaFin approved DZ Bank’s license at the end of 2025 under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regime. But what exactly does this regulation entail? MiCA is the European regulatory framework designed to establish clear and uniform standards for how digital assets can be operated, custodyed, and distributed within the community bloc. Unlike the previous regulatory chaos, MiCA provides legal certainty to institutions wishing to enter this space, allowing traditional banks like DZ Bank to offer crypto to millions of savers without the regulatory risks that existed just two years ago.

meinKrypto: the platform that opens the crypto doors to millions of Germans

The bank has launched meinKrypto, a digital asset trading solution specifically designed for retail clients, integrated directly into the VR Banking app. Through this platform, users can access trading of major digital assets: Bitcoin BTC - $78.73K, Ethereum ETH - $2.41K, Litecoin LTC - $59.63, and Cardano ADA - $0.30.

What’s relevant here is that meinKrypto is not positioned as a personalized financial advisory service, but as a tool for self-directed investors who want to experiment with digital assets natively within their conventional bank. The platform is being offered through Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken, the cooperative bank network operating under the DZ Bank structure.

The leap from institutional to retail: DZ Bank’s expansion strategy

This move toward retail represents an escalation in DZ Bank’s commitment to the crypto ecosystem. Just in 2024, the entity had partnered with Boerse Stuttgart Digital to offer cryptocurrency services to institutional clients. Now, with MiCA approval, it is transferring that experience to the retail segment, demonstrating that cryptocurrencies are no longer experimental but part of the conventional financial infrastructure.

DekaBank, another institution within the German cooperative conglomerate, had already anticipated this trend by launching crypto trading and custody services for institutions in early 2025. The coordinated move suggests that the German cooperative banking system sees cryptocurrencies as a strategic opportunity.

Over 70% of German cooperative banks want to offer crypto: what the numbers say

A key aspect highlighting the importance of DZ Bank’s move is the actual market demand. According to a study conducted by Genoverband (the association representing German cooperative institutions) in September 2025, over 71% of cooperative banks in Germany are interested in providing cryptocurrency services to their retail clients. This percentage is no coincidence: it reflects the institutional conviction that digital assets are now a legitimate investment category that their clients demand.

The regulatory path other banks must follow

Although DZ Bank already holds the license under MiCA, each individual cooperative bank must now request BaFin’s notification for MiCAR (the part of regulation concerning custody and distribution) to be able to offer meinKrypto through their channels. Once this administrative process is completed and the platform is implemented, their retail clients will have access to fully digitized cryptocurrency investments, without the need to transfer funds to external platforms.

This phased process reflects how MiCA creates a regulatory architecture that protects consumers while facilitating innovation. It’s not a “yes to everything,” but a “yes under clear and supervised conditions.”

What it means for the future of crypto in Europe

DZ Bank’s case is more than just a German corporate news story: it’s a symptom of how the cryptocurrency market has evolved from reckless speculation to responsible institutional integration. With MiCA providing the regulatory framework, traditional banks across Europe will begin to offer digital assets not as an experiment, but as a standard service. The coming months will show whether other major European banks follow DZ Bank’s lead and accelerate crypto adoption in the retail segment.