In a significant move for institutional crypto adoption, French banking giant BNP Paribas has announced it will offer six crypto-linked Exchange-Traded Notes (ETNs) to retail clients in France. The products, which track the performance of Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH), will be available starting March 30, 2026.
Clients can access these ETNs through standard securities accounts without the need to directly purchase or hold the underlying cryptocurrencies. The offering is available to individual investors, entrepreneurs, private banking clients, and users of the bank's digital platform, Hello bank!. The bank plans a phased rollout, with intentions to later extend availability to BNP Paribas Wealth Management clients outside of France.
The bank selected ETN issuers based on their financial strength and risk management systems, describing the products as regulated instruments built for investor protection under the MiFID II framework. This structure provides a familiar and compliant gateway for retail investors to gain exposure to crypto price movements.
This launch is part of a broader trend of European banks cautiously entering the digital asset space. Rather than offering direct crypto trading, BNP Paribas has opted for a regulated, indirect route via securities. The choice of Bitcoin and Ether reflects their dominant market positions and institutional familiarity.
The move builds upon BNP Paribas's ongoing digital asset initiatives, which include arranging Slovenia's first digital sovereign bond in 2024, joining the institutional-focused Canton Network in 2025, and recently launching a tokenized money market fund share class on the Ethereum blockchain.
