ING Deutschland, Germany’s largest retail bank, now allows customers to buy crypto products that track bitcoin ether and sunny directly from your bank-linked securities accounts.
These products are real cryptocurrency-backed exchange-traded products issued by heavyweights like 21Shares, Bitwise and VanEck, the bank’s website says, adding that these alternative investment vehicles mirror currency movements and are traded on legitimate exchanges through the bank’s Direct Depot setup. The Depot is a securities account offered by ING-DiBa, which allows users to trade stocks, ETFs and funds and is designed for self-directed online investors.
The website describes these crypto ETFs as a simple on-ramp that connects directly to your daily banking and avoids the hassle of using wallets or keys.
The new supply underscores growing demand for digital assets, with everyday investors shrugging off bitcoin’s wild price swings for long-term bets. Deutsche Bank research shows that retail cryptocurrency adoption in Germany reached 9% in 2025, lagging behind the US’s 12%.
Martijn Rozemuller, CEO of VanEck Europe, said the cooperation with ING Deutschland offers low-threshold access to cryptocurrency investments.
“Many investors want a solution that fits into existing deposit structures and at the same time convinces with transparent costs. That is exactly what this partnership represents: it brings crypto exposure to where investors already invest: in their securities account,” he said, according to the translated version of the press release.
Note that these crypto products get the same tax breaks in Germany as outright ownership of bitcoin: hold them for one year and get capital gains taxes.
