ING Germany Opens Crypto Gateway: Retail Clients Gain Easy Access to Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana & XRP ETPs

ING Germany has opened trading access for physically backed crypto Exchange-Traded Products (ETPs) on February 2, 2026, through its Direkt-Depot platform, therefore taking a significant stride toward mainstream crypto acceptance. Through authorized, issuer-backed offerings from major companies like 21Shares, Bitwise, VanEck, and WisdomTree, retail customers can now invest in Bitcoin, Ethereum, Solana, and XRP. Making it a safe, familiar starting point for conventional investors, these ETPs trade without the need of wallets, private keys, or crypto custody on well-known exchanges like Xetra, hence provide direct price exposure.

To guarantee informed participation, ING compels customers to pass a required risk awareness exam covering significant issues including extreme volatility, issuer default risk, liquidity problems, and changing regulatory environments. With good German tax treatment reflecting direct crypto holdings—including possible capital gains tax exclusions following a one-year holding period—the service runs on an execution-only basis and integrates crypto ETPs directly into conventional securities accounts. Using ING's extensive retail banking presence, the release is now in Germany with availability reaching to customers in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Unlocking ING's 3.2 million brokerage accounts and over €134 billion in deposits, this launch is set to have a major market impact by possibly channeling large new capital into crypto ETPs at a time when Europe profits from the MiCA regulatory framework and Germany experiences continuous favorable inflows. ING's action emphasizes a bigger trend of major European banks welcoming compliant crypto products like Solana and XRP alongside BTC and ETH to satisfy retail demand—further legitimizing and hastening institutional-grade acceptance throughout the continent.