PANews reported on July 1 that Germany's largest banking group Sparkassen plans to provide retail investors with cryptocurrency trading services, including Bitcoin and Ethereum. The service is expected to be launched in the summer of 2026. This decision comes three years after its board of directors rejected the relevant service due to volatility and risk issues.

Sparkassen’s wholly owned subsidiary Dekabank will reportedly manage its cryptocurrency services. Previously, Sparkassen executives had been critical of cryptocurrencies, calling them “highly speculative.”