On February 3, 2026, ING Deutschland, a major German retail bank, launched access to exchange-traded products (ETPs) for Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Solana, per The Block. Customers can now trade physically backed ETNs from issuers like 21Shares, Bitwise, and VanEck directly through ING’s Direct Depot platform on regulated exchanges. This eliminates the need for private keys or third-party wallets, lowering barriers for retail users, per. VanEck Europe CEO Martijn Rozemuller called it a “low-threshold” entry fitting existing depot structures.
The ETPs track individual cryptocurrency performance and are traded like traditional securities, per. In Germany, gains from holdings over one year qualify for capital gains exemptions, mirroring direct crypto tax rules, per. ING emphasizes transparency and regulated trading, aligning with its Direct Depot for stocks and ETFs, per. However, the bank warns of extreme volatility, total loss risk in issuer insolvency, liquidity issues, and regulatory uncertainty, stating cryptocurrencies have “no intrinsic value” driven by psychological factors.
ING’s move reflects growing mainstream adoption in Germany, where crypto ETPs are already popular among institutions, per. With 15 million users via its Upbit partnership in South Korea, ING expands its digital asset footprint, per. This contrasts China’s yuan stablecoin exploration and Illinois’ strict rules, positioning Germany as a crypto-friendly hub, per. Bitcoin ($78,662) and Ethereum ($2,322) rebound, but ETP access could boost retail inflows, per. ING’s euro stablecoin consortium involvement signals broader ambitions.
ING’s retail push could accelerate European crypto adoption, with $50B in ETP inflows projected by 2027, per. Risks remain high due to volatility and issuer insolvency, per. Investors should monitor ETF/ETP flows on SoSoValue and regulatory updates via BaFin. Dollar-cost average into BTC or ETH with stop-losses below $75,000 and $2,200, or diversify into USDC, per TradingView. Follow @TheBlock__ on X for updates. ING’s initiative bridges traditional banking and crypto, but caution is key amid market swings.
