Summary :

• BPCE is preparing to launch crypto trading for retail customers inside its mobile banking apps.
• Users will be able to buy and sell Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, and USDC directly.
• The initial rollout targets around 2 million users, with a full expansion planned through 2026.
• Trading will run through BPCE's crypto subsidiary Hexarq with paid in-app crypto accounts.
• This move puts BPCE among the first major European banks to fully embed crypto services in retail banking.

French banking giant BPCE, a €1.6 trillion financial heavyweight, is taking a clear step into the crypto world. The group is preparing to allow millions of everyday customers to buy and sell cryptocurrencies directly from their existing banking apps. For a traditional institution that serves millions across France, this is not a small experiment. It is a signal that crypto has moved far beyond the fringe and into the core of European retail finance.

According to a report from The Big Whale , BPCE will enable users of Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Épargne apps to trade major digital assets starting Monday. The first supported assets include Bitcoin, Ether, Solana, and USDC. These are not random picks. They are among the most liquid and widely used cryptocurrencies in global markets, giving users exposure to both established and newer blockchain ecosystems.

This shift matters because BPCE is not a niche fintech. It is one of the largest banking groups in Europe, serving millions of customers who may have never touched a crypto exchange before. By integrating crypto trading directly into familiar banking apps, the bank is reducing one of the biggest barriers to entry: complexity.

A phased rollout designed for control, not chaos

BPCE is not rushing this out to its entire customer base overnight. The initial rollout will focus on four regional banks, including Banque Populaire Île-de-France and Caisse d'Épargne Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. That group alone represents roughly 2 million customers. From there, the plan is to expand gradually across the remaining 25 regional entities, bringing the service to BPCE's full retail base of about 12 million users by 2026.

A bank insider reportedly told The Big Whale that the phased approach is intended to "monitor how the service performs at launch" before scaling. That single sentence explains a lot. BPCE is treating this like a core banking feature, not a side project. It wants to test system stability, user behavior, support demand, and compliance processes in a controlled way.

This cautious expansion also reflects how seriously traditional banks now take crypto. A few years ago, most large banks were either openly hostile or quietly dismissive of digital assets. Now, they are carefully building internal structures to support it without risking their reputations or regulatory standing.

How the in-app crypto accounts work

BPCE's crypto trading will not send users to external exchanges. Instead, everything happens inside a dedicated digital asset account that lives within the banking apps themselves. This system is managed by Hexarq, BPCE's own crypto subsidiary.

The account comes with a 2.99 euros (about $3.48) monthly fee and a 1.5% commission per trade, with a minimum fee of around $1.16. This is not a race to be the cheapest option in the market. Instead, BPCE is positioning this as a premium, regulated, and tightly integrated service. The value is convenience and trust, not rock-bottom fees.

Users will not need to open accounts on third-party exchanges or manage external wallets. For many everyday customers, this matters more than saving a fraction of a percent in trading fees. It removes the fear of lost private keys, phishing risks on unknown platforms, and the learning curve that still scares people away from crypto.

Why this move matters for European banking

This is not happening in isolation. Across Europe, competition between traditional banks and crypto-friendly fintech companies has intensified. Apps like Revolut, Deblock, Bitstack, and Trade Republic have been offering easy crypto access for a while now. They have attracted a younger, more tech-savvy audience that traditional banks don't want to lose. BPCE's move is a direct response to this pressure. If customers can buy Bitcoin in seconds inside a fintech app, they will expect the same from their main bank. Ignoring that demand is no longer a safe option.

Other major European banks have already started moving in the same direction. BBVA allows Spanish customers to buy, sell, and hold Bitcoin and Ether directly inside its app, supported by in-house custody. Santander's digital arm Openbank offers trading and custody for five cryptocurrencies. Raiffeisen Bank's Vienna-based unit partnered with Bitpanda to bring crypto services to retail clients.

BPCE joining this group marks an important moment. It shows that crypto integration is becoming a standard feature, not a marketing experiment.

What this means for everyday users

For most retail customers, the biggest change is psychological. Crypto stops being "that risky thing on the internet" and becomes just another asset class in a trusted banking app. When people can see their euro balance and their Bitcoin balance side by side, the mental gap between traditional finance and crypto starts to shrink.

This doesn't mean everyone will suddenly become a crypto trader. But it does mean more people will feel safe enough to try small investments. Over time, that kind of slow, steady adoption tends to be more powerful than hype-driven bull runs.

It also means that compliance and consumer protection will likely improve. When large banks are involved, services have to meet stricter standards around identity verification, fraud monitoring, and reporting. That may not excite hardcore crypto users, but for mainstream adoption, it's a big step forward.

Risks and criticisms that still exist

This move is not without controversy. Crypto remains volatile. Prices can swing sharply in short periods, and inexperienced users could lose money if they jump in without understanding the risks. There are also valid questions about fees. A 1.5% commission per trade plus a monthly account fee is higher than many crypto-native exchanges. For active traders, this could become expensive very quickly.

Some crypto purists also argue that this kind of in-app trading goes against the original philosophy of decentralization. When a bank controls custody and access, users are not fully in control of their assets. They are trusting another centralized institution. That debate is far from settled and likely never will be.

Final Thoughts

BPCE allowing customers to buy and sell crypto inside its mobile apps is more than just a new feature. It is a clear signal of where European banking is heading. Crypto is not replacing banks, and banks are not killing crypto. They are slowly merging strengths. Banks bring trust, scale, and regulation. Crypto brings speed, accessibility, and new financial models. This announcement sits right at that intersection. And for millions of customers, the future of finance just became one tap closer.