French financial giant BPCE is preparing to bring cryptocurrency trading to millions of everyday users, positioning itself among the first major traditional banks in Europe to provide direct access to digital assets. According to reporting from The Big Whale, customers of Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Épargne will be able to buy and sell Bitcoin, Ether, Solana and USDC directly from their mobile banking apps beginning Monday.

The launch will initially apply to clients of four regional banks — including Banque Populaire Île-de-France and Caisse d’Épargne Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur — covering roughly 2 million users. BPCE plans to expand the feature across its remaining 25 regional banks through 2026, ultimately opening crypto access to its full retail base of around 12 million customers. A source familiar with the rollout told The Big Whale that the gradual expansion is intended to “monitor how the service performs at launch” before broader deployment.

Paid in-app crypto accounts

The integration will rely on a dedicated digital asset account built into the BPCE banking apps and operated by the group’s crypto subsidiary Hexarq. According to the report, the account will cost 2.99 euros ($3.48) per month and apply a 1.5% trading fee, with a minimum charge of $1.16. Users will be able to trade crypto without external exchanges or third-party wallets, marking a significant shift as traditional banks increasingly compete with crypto-friendly fintechs such as Revolut, Deblock, Bitstack and Trade Republic.

Other European banks have already begun offering similar services. BBVA provides in-app Bitcoin and Ether trading with its own custody solution, Santander’s Openbank supports five cryptocurrencies, and Raiffeisen Bank’s Vienna division has partnered with Bitpanda to offer crypto products to its retail clients. BPCE did not provide a comment by the time of publication.

France’s evolving crypto climate

The expansion comes amid growing debate in France over how to tax and regulate digital assets. Lawmakers recently approved a proposal to classify crypto holdings as part of the country’s wealth tax targeting “unproductive assets,” grouping them with certain real estate categories and luxury items.

Sources:

https://cointelegraph.com/news/french-bank-bpce-launches-in-app-crypto-trading

https://x.com/Raph_Bloch/status/1997262756475547916?s=20