French banking group BPCE is preparing a major push into digital assets, enabling millions of its customers to trade cryptocurrencies directly from their regular banking apps.
The group, which operates well-known retail brands Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Épargne, plans to integrate buy-and-sell functionality for Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH), Solana (SOL) and the stablecoin USDC into its mobile applications. The first users are expected to gain access starting Monday, marking one of the most significant moves so far by a traditional European bank into retail crypto services.
Gradual rollout from 2 million to 12 million customers
The new crypto service will initially be available to clients of four regional banks, including Banque Populaire Île-de-France and Caisse d’Épargne Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. Together, these entities serve around 2 million customers, who will be the first to test the integrated trading feature.
BPCE intends to deploy the service progressively across its remaining 25 regional banks through 2026. If the timeline holds, the offering will eventually be accessible to the group’s entire retail customer base of roughly 12 million people. According to an internal source, the phased rollout is designed to closely observe customer adoption, technical performance and risk management before the service is fully scaled.
Dedicated crypto account, managed by Hexarq
Crypto transactions will be executed through a separate digital asset account within the existing banking apps. This account structure keeps crypto activity distinct from traditional checking and savings accounts, while still offering a unified user experience.
The service will be operated by Hexarq, BPCE’s dedicated crypto subsidiary. Hexarq will handle the underlying infrastructure and asset management, allowing BPCE to offer digital assets without forcing customers to interact directly with external exchanges, new platforms or self-custody wallets.
The digital asset account will come with:
– A fixed monthly fee of 2.99 euros (about $3.48)
– A trading commission of 1.5% per transaction, with a minimum fee of roughly $1.16 per trade
This pricing model may appeal to customers who value convenience and the perceived safety of dealing with a large regulated bank over low-cost trading on specialized crypto platforms.
No need for external exchanges or third-party wallets
One of the key selling points of BPCE’s service is its integration into the existing banking ecosystem. Customers will be able to:
– Log into their usual Banque Populaire or Caisse d’Épargne mobile app
– Open a dedicated digital asset account
– Buy and sell BTC, ETH, SOL and USDC within the same interface they already use for transfers, payments and savings
By eliminating the need to create accounts on external crypto exchanges or manage private keys, BPCE is targeting users who are curious about crypto but hesitant to navigate the complexity of specialized trading platforms or self-custody solutions.
Competitive pressure from fintechs and neobanks
BPCE’s move comes as the competitive landscape in European retail finance shifts rapidly. Fintech companies and neobanks have been aggressively courting customers with easy access to digital assets, typically bundled into mobile banking or investment apps.
Across Europe, players such as Revolut, Deblock, Bitstack and Trade Republic already allow users to gain exposure to cryptocurrencies alongside traditional financial products. Their success has highlighted a growing demand for simple, app-based crypto services and has put pressure on established banks to respond or risk losing younger, more digitally savvy clients.
By bringing crypto trading into its mainstream banking apps, BPCE is signaling that digital assets are no longer a fringe offering, but a product line that large universal banks feel compelled to integrate.
Other European banks are also experimenting
BPCE is not alone in testing the waters of regulated crypto services. Several other major European institutions have already launched or piloted similar offerings:
– BBVA enables customers in Spain to buy, sell and hold Bitcoin and Ether directly within its app, using in-house custody solutions.
– Santander’s digital bank Openbank has introduced trading and custody for five cryptocurrencies, expanding its investment product range.
– Raiffeisen Bank’s Vienna-based unit has partnered with Bitpanda to plug crypto services into its retail banking interface, allowing customers to invest in digital assets alongside traditional instruments.
This trend suggests that, at least in Europe, the gap between traditional finance and the crypto ecosystem is narrowing, with banks increasingly positioning themselves as regulated gateways to digital assets.
How BPCE’s offer could change the user experience
For the average retail client, BPCE’s initiative could significantly lower the barrier to entry into crypto:
– Familiar environment: Trading is embedded in the same app used daily for banking, which may feel more trustworthy than a new, unknown platform.
– Simplified onboarding: Know-your-customer (KYC) checks and identity verification are already completed for banking purposes, eliminating additional registration steps.
– Integrated overview: Users can see traditional accounts and crypto holdings in one place, making it easier to track overall finances.
However, the trade-off is cost and flexibility. Fees may be higher than on specialized exchanges, and supported assets are limited, at least initially, to four major cryptocurrencies. Power users or active traders are likely to continue using dedicated platforms, while BPCE’s service is more tailored to beginners and long-term holders.
Risk, regulation and investor protection
Launching crypto services from within a large regulated bank also raises questions about risk management and consumer protection. BPCE will have to navigate:
– Market volatility and the risk of sudden price swings in assets like BTC, ETH and SOL
– Technological and custody risk related to securing private keys and protecting customer funds
– Regulatory requirements around anti-money laundering, transparency and investor disclosures
On the positive side, bank-based offerings could contribute to higher standards of security, clearer information on risks and stronger recourse mechanisms if something goes wrong. Customers who previously avoided crypto due to fears of scams or insecure platforms may see a regulated bank as a safer entry point, even if that safety is not absolute.
France’s evolving tax stance on digital assets
BPCE’s expansion into crypto coincides with important changes in the French tax debate around digital assets. Lawmakers recently approved an amendment that would broaden the country’s wealth tax to include a wider category of “unproductive assets.” This category covers certain types of real estate, luxury goods and digital assets such as cryptocurrencies.
Under the proposal, individuals whose holdings of qualifying unproductive wealth exceed about $2.3 million would be subject to a new flat tax of 1%. This would represent a shift away from the current progressive tax applied specifically to real estate wealth.
For high-net-worth individuals in France, crypto holdings could therefore be folded into a broader wealth tax framework rather than treated entirely separately. The change is not yet final: it still needs to pass through the Senate as part of the 2026 budget process before becoming law. Nevertheless, it signals that French policymakers see digital assets as part of the mainstream wealth landscape and are adapting tax rules accordingly.
What this means for French crypto investors
If the proposed tax reform is enacted, it could influence how wealthy individuals structure their portfolios:
– Large crypto positions may contribute to pushing an investor over the 2.3-million threshold for “unproductive wealth.”
– The flat 1% rate might encourage rebalancing towards productive assets that generate economic activity, such as certain business investments.
– Bank-based crypto services, like BPCE’s, could make it easier to document holdings, which in turn makes tax compliance more straightforward but reduces anonymity.
For the broader retail base, which may never approach the wealth tax threshold, the more practical implications relate to day-to-day access. A mainstream bank offering crypto:
– Reduces the learning curve for getting started
– Reinforces the perception of crypto as a legitimate asset class
– May encourage more conservative, regulated participation rather than purely speculative trading on high-risk platforms
Strategic implications for BPCE and the wider market
BPCE’s in-app crypto trading is more than a simple product launch; it is a strategic signal:
– The bank is positioning itself to retain clients who might otherwise migrate to fintechs in search of digital asset exposure.
– It is laying groundwork for a broader digital finance offering that could include tokenized securities, stablecoin-based payment solutions or future central bank digital currency integrations.
– It is testing how far traditional banking infrastructure can be extended to accommodate new asset classes without undermining regulatory and risk standards.
If the program proves successful, other large European banks that have so far remained cautious may feel compelled to follow, accelerating the integration of crypto into everyday financial life.
Outlook: Crypto as a standard banking feature
By 2026, when BPCE aims to have rolled out the service across all its regional banks, crypto trading inside a traditional banking app may no longer be an exception in Europe but a standard feature. The combination of:
– Progressive regulation under the European Union’s emerging frameworks
– Increasing competition from digital-first financial companies
– Growing consumer familiarity with Bitcoin, Ether, Solana and stablecoins
is pushing banks to treat digital assets not as a temporary trend, but as a permanent segment of the financial services market.
BPCE’s initiative illustrates this shift clearly: cryptocurrencies are moving from niche trading platforms into the core of conventional retail banking, reshaping how Europeans may buy, hold and think about digital assets in the years ahead.