Groupe BPCE, France's second-largest banking group, began offering direct cryptocurrency trading to 2 million customers on Monday through its Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Épargne mobile applications.
The launch marks one of Europe's most significant integrations of digital asset trading into traditional banking infrastructure.
Four regional banks initiated the rollout on December 8, with full expansion across BPCE's 29 regional banking networks planned for 2026. The phased deployment will eventually serve more than 12 million customers.
What Happened
BPCE customers can now buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana and USDC through a dedicated digital asset account within their existing banking apps.
The service operates through Hexarq, BPCE's cryptocurrency subsidiary, which secured PSAN (Prestataire de Services sur Actifs Numériques) authorization from France's financial regulator, the Autorité des Marchés Financiers, in 2024.
Account holders pay €2.99 monthly plus a 1.5% transaction commission, with a minimum charge of €1 per trade. The initial phase targets approximately 2 million clients across Banque Populaire Île-de-France and Caisse d'Épargne Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.
A BPCE representative said the staged approach allows the bank to monitor adoption rates and system performance before scaling to its full customer base.
Hexarq becomes the second bank-affiliated entity in France to receive PSAN approval, following Société Générale's SG Forge subsidiary, which obtained the license in July 2023.
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Why It Matters
The integration positions BPCE to compete with standalone cryptocurrency exchanges by offering regulated digital asset access within familiar banking environments.
BPCE's entry follows similar moves by European banking competitors. Spain's BBVA allows direct cryptocurrency trading through its banking application, while Santander's Openbank provides access to five digital assets with integrated custody.
The timing aligns with France's implementation of the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, which establishes comprehensive licensing requirements for digital asset service providers across the bloc.
France began accepting MiCA license applications in July 2024, positioning itself as the first major EU economy to operationalize the regulatory framework ahead of the December 30, 2024 effective date.
By integrating cryptocurrency services directly into retail banking applications, BPCE aims to retain customers who might otherwise migrate to specialized exchanges while attracting new clients seeking regulated digital asset access.
The bank's strategy reflects broader institutional recognition of cryptocurrency as a mainstream financial product requiring traditional banking infrastructure and regulatory oversight.
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