BBVA has launched a Bitcoin and Ether trading and custody service for retail customers in Spain.
After completing a disclosure with the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), the bank gradually rolled out its new service. Users can now trade in Bitcoin and Ether through the BBVA app within a fully integrated framework that includes all the bank’s financial services.
Digital asset services in Spain
As the bank is focused on offering a more comprehensive digital experience, the new service enables customers to buy, sell, and hold crypto in the BBVA mobile app. The move aligns with the European law MiCA, which regulates the issuance and provision of crypto-asset services within the EU and offers additional protection for investors. The bank will not provide investment advice on these assets, and access to the service will be exclusively customer-initiated through the app.
The bank wanted to make it easier for its customers in Spain to invest in cryptocurrency through a simple and user-friendly digital solution on their device. Its mission is to support the exploration and adoption of digital assets backed by security and compliance.
The initiative comes as BBVA received approval from the Spanish Securities and Exchange Commission (CNMV) to offer custody and execution of services for crypto trading orders in March 2025. As required by the MiCA, the bank completed the formalities with the CNMV and launched the solution initially for a small group of users, gradually extending it to all private customers in Spain.
BBVA has a decade worth of experience in blockchain technology. In 2021, it rolled out a Bitcoin trading desk and custody service for private banking clients in Switzerland, which later expanded to include Ether and USDC. In 2023, Garanti BBVA in Turkey set up a specialised company that now offers a wide range of crypto assets, including Bitcoin, Ether, USDC, Solana, XRP, AVAX, Chiliz, and others. Spain marks the third market where the bank grew its digital asset services.
