ING Deutschland, Germany’s largest retail bank, has rolled out crypto investment products tied to bitcoin, ether and solana, allowing customers to buy them directly through their bank-linked securities accounts.
According to ING’s website, the offerings are physically backed exchange-traded products issued by established asset managers such as 21Shares, Bitwise and VanEck. The instruments mirror the price movements of the underlying cryptocurrencies and trade on regulated exchanges via ING’s Direct Depot platform, its self-directed brokerage account for stocks, ETFs and funds.
The bank is marketing the crypto ETPs as a simple on-ramp for digital asset exposure, integrating them into customers’ existing banking and investment workflows while removing the need to manage wallets, private keys or external crypto platforms.
The launch comes as retail interest in crypto continues to build despite persistent price volatility. Deutsche Bank research indicates that retail crypto adoption in Germany reached 9% in 2025, compared with 12% in the United States, underscoring room for further growth.
Martijn Rozemuller, CEO of VanEck Europe, said the partnership with ING lowers barriers to crypto investing by embedding it within familiar investment infrastructure.
“Many investors are looking for solutions that fit into existing depot structures and offer transparent costs,” Rozemuller said in a translated statement. “This cooperation brings crypto exposure to where investors already invest — their securities account.”
Notably, the products receive the same tax treatment in Germany as directly held bitcoin. Investors who hold the ETPs for more than one year are exempt from capital gains tax, a feature that could make them especially appealing for long-term holders.
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