Spain’s Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) has received official approval from the country’s financial regulator to offer Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH) trading to its clients.
Spanish Banking Giant BBVA Receives Regulatory Approval for Bitcoin and Ethereum Trading
The approval comes as the Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) regulation, which establishes a standard legal framework for digital asset services in member countries, comes into full force across the European Union (EU).
This regulatory green light is the culmination of BBVA’s years-long effort to integrate cryptocurrency trading into its financial offerings.
BBVA's Crypto Journey Since 2020
BBVA's involvement in the crypto space dates back to 2020, when it first announced plans to explore digital asset trading.
At the time, the bank chose to launch its crypto services from Switzerland, where the Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) has established a clear regulatory framework for digital assets.
In January 2025, BBVA expanded its crypto services to Türkiye by offering BTC and ETH trading through a local subsidiary.
European Banks Embracing Crypto
BBVA joins the growing list of European banks integrating blockchain and digital asset services:
- Deutsche Bank (Germany) is working on an Ethereum rollup with ZKsync and provides crypto custody through Taurus.
- Société Générale's SG-FORGE (France) launched a euro stablecoin on the XRP Ledger.
A New Era for Crypto Banking in Europe
With the MiCA regulations coming into effect, more traditional financial institutions are expected to follow BBVA’s lead in expanding crypto-related services.
BBVA’s approval marks a major step for crypto adoption in Spain by providing traditional banking clients with regulated access to Bitcoin and Ethereum trading.
*This is not investment advice.
