Kaupr Daily — Tuesday 20 October 2026
Good morning!
European banks are moving into crypto, with Germany in front. Germany's savings banks have started crypto trading in their banking apps, Deutsche Bank is about to hold crypto for corporate clients, and German authorities grant more MiCA licences than any other EU country, mostly to banks. In Spain, Cecabank is taking its crypto custody abroad, and Santander and BBVA have run a syndicated loan on blockchain. Austria's Raiffeisen and two Bulgarian banks are bringing crypto into their apps.
Some stories in Kaupr Daily:
💎 ESMA's MiCA register grows to 375 firms, with more banks joining
💎 Bitcoin's volatility falls to one of its lowest levels in two and a half years
In this week's Trendline, Venkat Hrushikesa Varri sees bitcoin settling into a range after its push towards $87,000 failed. And our next live event, Impact Onchain on 4 November, is free to join.
— Morten
📅 Impact Onchain — Wednesday 4 November
From hackathon to real projects
Our next live event is free and online, Wednesday 4 November, 11:00–12:30 CET. Together with FirstBlock-athon Stockholm, we look at what it takes to turn hackathon work into lasting projects: funding, partners, pilots and buy-in, and blockchain beyond finance.
German banks open the door to crypto
Germany's savings banks start crypto trading in their banking apps
Customers of five German Sparkassen can now trade five cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin, directly in their banking app, through DekaBank. More than 230 savings banks have shown interest. Each trade costs €0.99 plus a spread, and customers can only withdraw their crypto to approved custodians.
Why it matters: Crypto moves into the everyday banking app of German savings bank customers, rather than a separate exchange account.
Source: Sparkassen Begin Bitcoin Trading Through DekaBank in Banking App — The Defiant
Deutsche Bank's custody service could set a standard for corporate clients
Deutsche Bank will be the first major German bank to hold crypto directly for clients, managing wallets and keys for companies and institutions. FinTech Magazine argues that a 155-year-old bank offers the regulatory comfort corporate treasurers have been waiting for, though with minimum balances, fees and longer onboarding.
Why it matters: "We may be approaching an inflection point, with the focus shifting from experimentation towards concrete use cases," says Gerald Podobnik, co-head of the corporate bank.
Source: Will Deutsche Bank Set the Standard for Crypto Custody? — FinTech Magazine
Germany leads Europe's MiCA licensing
Germany grants more MiCA licences than any other EU country
Almost all of Germany's new MiCA licence holders are banks, and German authorities approved 42 of the 72 licences granted across Europe in the third quarter, Cryptopolitan reports. BaFin has also rejected futurum bank, which runs the exchange Bitcoin.de. Since July, every crypto service provider in the EU and EEA needs a MiCA licence.
Why it matters: Germany has become Europe's main route for banks into regulated crypto services.
Source: Germany becomes MiCA gateway for banks pushing into crypto — Cryptopolitan
ESMA's MiCA register grows to 375 firms, with more banks joining
Nine firms joined ESMA's MiCA register in the latest update, including BingX through Austria, YouHodler through Italy and Openbank, the German digital bank of Spain's Santander. Two German cooperative banks were also added. Denmark's Penning Financial was removed without explanation.
Why it matters: The number of banks in the register roughly doubled between late June and mid-September, to about 80.
Spanish banks build onchain
Cecabank takes its crypto custody to other EU countries
Spain's Cecabank, which provides infrastructure to other banks, has begun passporting its MiCA-licensed crypto services to Luxembourg, Ireland and Portugal. It launched custody of bitcoin, ether and USDC in May, letting client banks hold and trade crypto without building the technology themselves.
Why it matters: Cecabank is also a member of Qivalis, a group of 37 European banks building a euro stablecoin.
Source: Cecabank Starts MiCA Passporting for Services in Three EU Markets — TokenPost
Santander and BBVA run a syndicated loan on blockchain from start to finish
Santander and BBVA arranged a €150 million syndicated loan for Iberdrola that is administered on blockchain throughout its life, from disbursement and interest to repayments and maturity. The platform was built with ioBuilders. The banks call it the first live syndicated loan whose full lifecycle runs on blockchain.
Why it matters: BBVA tested a similar loan in 2018, but only for negotiation and contracting. This one runs the whole administration onchain.
Source: Spanish banks extend blockchain into syndicated loan administration, Visa launches stablecoin prefunding — The Asian Banker
More European banks add crypto
Raiffeisen brings crypto trading to its banks across Europe
Raiffeisen Bank International is expanding crypto trading through a group-wide partnership with Bitpanda that could reach about 18 million customers in up to 11 European markets. The service is live in Austria, with Albania, the Czech Republic and Slovakia set to follow from the first half of 2027.
Why it matters: Each Raiffeisen bank decides its own offering and timing, depending on local markets and regulation.
Source: Raiffeisen to offer crypto trading across 11 European markets via Bitpanda — Cointelegraph
Fibank puts crypto trading inside its banking app in Bulgaria
Bulgaria's First Investment Bank has built Bitpanda's crypto trading into its My Fibank app, giving approved customers round-the-clock access from €1. Fibank says it is the first Bulgarian bank to offer crypto this way, and Bitpanda puts the reach at more than a million customers.
Why it matters: Fibank tells customers that digital assets "do not carry the same guarantees or compensation arrangements" as deposits.
Source: Fibank Puts Bitpanda Crypto Trading Inside Its Banking App for More Than 1 Million Customers — FinanceFeeds
Bulgaria's Postbank plans crypto and ETFs in its app from early 2027
Eurobank Bulgaria, which operates as Postbank, plans to offer stocks, ETFs, crypto, commodities and gold in its mobile app by early 2027. An international investment platform it has not yet named will power the service. Active users of its app rose by about a third in the first nine months of 2026.
Why it matters: As Bulgaria's fourth-largest bank, Postbank would make crypto and ETFs part of a mainstream banking app in the Bulgarian market, where use of its app is growing fast.
Source: Bulgaria's 4th-Largest Bank to Add ETFs, Crypto to Mobile App in Early 2027 — CoinGape
Bitcoin's volatility hits a low
Bitcoin's volatility falls to one of its lowest levels in two and a half years
Bitcoin's Bollinger Bands, a common measure of volatility, have narrowed to one of their tightest readings in two and a half years, according to Barchart. Past squeezes have been followed by large moves in both directions, including a drop of almost 30% after one in May. The squeeze itself does not signal which way bitcoin will break.
Why it matters: Analysts see $80,000 to $85,000 as the range that matters, with trading volume weaker since June.
Source: Bitcoin Volatility Hits 2.5-Year Low as Traders Brace for 30% Move — BeInCrypto
📈 Trendline by Venkat Hrushikesa Varri
Bitcoin returns to range after failed push towards $87,000
Venkat Hrushikesa Varri sees bitcoin settling into a range between about $79,700 and $83,500 after its push towards $87,000 failed to continue. A daily close above $83,500 would revive the bullish case, while a close below the bottom of the range would strengthen the bearish case.
Why it matters: Until one side breaks, Venkat argues for patience rather than predicting the outcome.
Source: Bitcoin Returns to Range After Failed Push Towards $87,000 — Kaupr
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Wishing you a great Tuesday — and welcome back tomorrow morning for the next edition of Kaupr Today.
Best regards Morten Myrstad Founder & Editor