In a significant move for European finance, French banking group BPCE will offer crypto trading to retail customers via its Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Épargne mobile apps starting Monday.
According to an exclusive report from The Big Whale, clients of four regional banks, including Banque Populaire Île-de-France and Caisse d’Épargne Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, will be able to buy and sell bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), Solana (SOL), and Circle’s USDC directly in their banking apps. The pilot will reach about 2 million customers, with BPCE planning a gradual roll-out across its remaining 25 regional entities through 2026 to cover its full 12‑million retail base. A bank representative said the phased launch is intended to monitor performance before wider scaling.
Transactions will be processed through a dedicated digital asset account within the apps, managed by BPCE’s crypto subsidiary Hexarq. The account carries a €2.99 monthly fee and a 1.5% trading fee, with a minimum charge of $1.16 per trade. Customers can use the service without external crypto exchanges or third‑party wallets.
BPCE’s initiative comes amid rising competition in Europe between traditional banks and crypto-friendly fintechs like Revolut and Trade Republic. Several other European banks have launched similar services: Spain’s BBVA enabled in‑app buying, selling, and custody of BTC and ETH earlier this year; Santander’s digital arm Openbank recently rolled out trading and custody for five crypto assets; and Raiffeisen’s Vienna unit partnered with Bitpanda to introduce crypto services to retail clients.
