Major French banking group BPCE is set to start offering crypto trading services to retail customers through its Banque Populaire and Caisse d’Épargne apps starting Monday.
Customers of four regional banks, including Banque Populaire Île-de-France and Caisse d’Épargne Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, will be able to buy and sell bitcoin
The rollout will reach around 2 million customers in the pilot phase, with BPCE planning to expand access to its full 12-million-strong retail base through 2026.
The service operates through a separate digital asset account managed by Hexarq, BPCE’s crypto-focused subsidiary. Each account comes with a 2.99 euro ($3.48) monthly fee and a 1.5% transaction commission, with a minimum charge of one euro per trade.
A BPCE representative said the phased launch is designed to monitor adoption and system performance before scaling.
Other European banks have already made similar moves. BBVA allows crypto trading directly in its Spanish banking app, while Santander’s Openbank offers access to five crypto assets with integrated custody. On top of tthat, a Vienna-based unit of Raiffeisen Bank partnered with Bitpanda to offer crypto to its customers.
