Israel Discount Bank has confirmed it will introduce Bitcoin and Ether trading directly inside its existing mobile banking app from November 26, positioning itself to become the first Israeli bank to roll out a fully integrated cryptocurrency trading service. The launch will be available to private customers aged 18 or older whose accounts are already enabled for securities trading, allowing them to buy, hold and sell the two assets alongside stocks and bonds without opening an external exchange account or managing a separate digital wallet.
According to reports by Globes and The Jerusalem Post, customer digital assets will be held in bank wallets supported by Fireblocks infrastructure. Sale proceeds will be credited directly to the customer’s bank account, keeping custody and cash settlement within the banking relationship. The bank will waive account management fees for the first six months, though it has not published specific trading commission rates, describing them only as low.
Tax handling is a central feature of the offering. Discount plans to integrate crypto capital gains and losses with customers’ broader investment portfolios for withholding-tax purposes, allowing losses to offset gains from other investments and reducing the need for separate filings with the Israel Tax Authority. This contrasts with external crypto platforms, where investors generally manage such obligations themselves. The bank also warned that cryptocurrency trading carries exceptional risk, including high volatility and the possible loss of the entire investment.
If the schedule holds, Discount would launch ahead of Bank Leumi, which announced in August a partnership with Galaxy Digital to offer Bitcoin, Ether and Solana trading through Leumi Trade in early 2027. Discount Group CEO Avi Levi described the move as an initial step toward building the bank’s digital-asset infrastructure, while Elad Fisher, head of the Financial Markets Division, led the initiative.
