German | Crypto

Germany’s largest bank reportedly plans to expand its digital asset custody services to Asian financial centers due to the growth of the digital asset economy. Deutsche Bank reportedly intends to debut its crypto custody services in Germany and plans to expand them across Asian financial centers in 2027. The rapid growth of the digital asset economy, including hundreds of billions of dollars held in stablecoins, is driving the bank’s plans, Gerald Podobnik, co-head of Deutsche Bank’s corporate bank, told Reuters in a Friday report. Podobnik added that the move is part of Deutsche Bank’s goals to achieve compound annual growth of 8% in corporate banking by 2028. Read more

BaFin rejected operator futurum bank AG's application, and a proposed restart depends on unfinished arrangements with regulated partners. The post MiCA rejection forces German crypto platform into operational overhaul appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Trading on the platform has largely been suspended since June as its operator awaited MiCA authorization, with the company now looking to regulated partners to restart services. Bitcoin Group SE says it is seeking an alternative operating model for its bitcoin.de platform after the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) refused its subsidiary futurum bank AG’s application for authorization as a crypto-asset service provider under the Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCA). In an Oct. 6 announcement, the company said the BaFin decision was a setback, but it had prepared for the possibility of a refusal. It said it is now reviewing the decision and has the opportunity to lodge an objection or submit a new application in the future. The group said it is also working on ways to resume trading through regulated partners “as quickly as possible.” Read more

The German Ministry of Finance is reportedly seeking to impose a 25% tax on cryptocurrencies, departing from current laws that make crypto gains tax-free after one year of holding. The German Federal Ministry of Finance reportedly issued a draft proposal to transition cryptocurrency trading profits to the standard 25% flat-rate tax starting in 2028. The ministry’s proposal would apply to all crypto assets acquired after Jan. 1, 2027, according to a draft proposal seen by local news outlet Die Welt on Wednesday. The draft also proposes grandfathering protections, meaning that digital assets bought before this deadline may be treated under the old taxation rules. Read more

Germany’s largest banking group, Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, is preparing to offer crypto trading services to its retail clients by summer 2026, Bloomberg News reported on June 30. The move represents a significant policy shift for Sparkassen, which had previously avoided crypto offerings due to concerns about volatility and risk. According to the report, the bank’s board of […] The post German banking giant Sparkassen to offer crypto trading to 50 million customers by 2026 appeared first on CryptoSlate.

Ethena Labs and Germany’s BaFin agreed on a 42-day USDe redemption plan, marking the end of a months-long regulatory dispute. Ethena Labs announced on Wednesday that the German Federal Financial Supervisory Authority, BaFin, and Ethena GmbH, the company’s German arm, have agreed on a redemption plan for USDe stablecoin holders.  The regulator said it had initiated a 42-day redemption process for stablecoin holders. BaFin said USDe holders will have until Aug. 6 to declare redemption claims directly against Ethena GmbH. The process will be supervised by a special representative appointed by BaFin.  After the deadline, Ethena GmbH will be deemed officially wound up within Germany, the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA). This means that any claims from Aug. 7 onward should be made through the company’s offshore affiliate, Ethena (BVI) Ltd.  Read more

The German government sold its Bitcoin stash in the summer of 2024, which became a $2.3 billion missed opportunity for Europe’s largest economy. The German government missed out on more than $2 billion worth of Bitcoin profit after selling its holdings in 2024, according to blockchain intelligence firm Arkham. A “German Government (BKA)” labeled cryptocurrency wallet sold 49,858 Bitcoin (BTC) worth over $2.89 billion at an average price of $57,900 across multiple transactions during June and July in 2024. The decision to sell the Bitcoin early cost the German government over $2.35 billion, according to crypto intelligence platform Arkham. Read more