French banking BPCE is preparing to introduce cryptocurrency trading to millions of its retail customers, making it one of the first major classic European banks to offer digital assets.
According to A report from The Gigantic Whale, the group will allow users to buy and sell Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL), and USDC (USDC) directly on the Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Épargne mobile apps starting Monday.
The initial rollout will cover customers of four regional banks, including Banque Populaire Île-de-France and Caisse d’Épargne Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, reaching approximately 2 million customers. BPCE plans to gradually expand the service to the remaining 25 regional entities by 2026, eventually making cryptocurrency trading available to its full 12 million retail base.
A bank insider reportedly told The Gigantic Whale that the phased approach is intended to “monitor the performance of the service at launch” before scaling.
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BPCE provides paid cryptocurrency accounts within the app
According to the report, cryptocurrency purchases and sales will be handled through a dedicated digital asset account in banking applications, managed by Hexarq, BPCE’s cryptocurrency subsidiary. There is a monthly fee of €2.99 ($3.48) for the account and a 1.5% commission per transaction, with a minimum value of $1.16. Users will be able to access the service without having to employ external exchanges or third-party wallets.
BPCE’s move comes as competition intensifies in Europe between classic banks and cryptocurrency-friendly fintechs such as Revolut, Deblock, Bitstack and Trade Republic, all of which offer access to digital assets.
Several European institutions have also taken similar steps. BBVA enables Spanish customers to buy, sell and store Bitcoin and Ether directly on its app, with internal support. Santander’s digital arm, Openbank, offers trading and custody of five cryptocurrencies, while Raiffeisen Bank’s Vienna unit has partnered with Bitpanda to provide crypto services to its retail customers.
Cointelegraph reached out to BPCE for comment but did not receive a response via publication.
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France taxes cryptocurrencies as ‘unproductive wealth’
Last month, French lawmakers narrowly approved an amendment that would have extended the country’s wealth tax to “non-productive assets,” including some real estate, luxury items and digital assets such as cryptocurrencies.
Under the amendment, people with more than $2.3 million in qualifying “unproductive wealth” will be subject to a recent flat 1% tax, a change from the current progressive estate tax. The expanded tax base covers digital assets. Before the proposal becomes law, it must still pass the Senate as part of the 2026 budget process.
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