Germany's second-largest banking group, DZ Bank, has officially received regulatory approval under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR) to operate its new digital asset platform, meinKrypto. The authorization was granted by Germany's Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) in late December 2025.
The approval allows DZ Bank to legally offer cryptocurrency trading services across the European Union. The platform will initially support four major cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Litecoin (LTC), and Cardano (ADA). The service will be integrated into the VR Banking App, enabling access for customers of approximately 700 cooperative banks (Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken) within DZ Bank's network, which serves millions of clients.
Custody services for the digital assets will be provided by Boerse Stuttgart Digital Custody. Before the platform goes live for their customers, each individual cooperative bank must submit its own notification to BaFin.
This move represents a significant step in the institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies within Europe's traditional finance sector. DZ Bank, with its decades of banking infrastructure and trust, is positioning itself at the forefront of bridging traditional finance (TradFi) with digital assets. The platform aims to simplify crypto access for everyday investors within a secure and fully regulated environment, a key reassurance amid market volatility.
The approval underscores Germany's growing role as a crypto innovation hub in Europe and highlights the practical implementation of the MiCAR framework, which is designed to harmonize crypto regulations across the EU to protect consumers while fostering innovation.
