ING Germany Rolls Out Bitwise ETPs and VanEck ETNs — Retail Crypto Access Expands

February 3, 2026 — ING Deutschland, one of Germany’s largest retail banks, has significantly broadened cryptocurrency investment options for everyday customers.

Through its Direct Depot securities platform, ING now offers trading in physically-backed crypto exchange-traded products (ETPs) and exchange-traded notes (ETNs) issued by leading providers including Bitwise, VanEck, 21Shares, and others.

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Key Highlights of the Expansion

• Assets covered:
  Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), Solana (SOL — including staking variants), crypto indices, and additional altcoins (depending on the issuer)

• Product types:
  Physically-backed ETPs and ETNs traded on regulated exchanges (primarily Deutsche Börse Xetra)

• No wallet required:
  Clients gain exposure without managing private keys or self-custody

• Tax treatment:
  These products align with German tax rules for direct crypto holdings

• Issuers prominently featured:

  • Bitwise (Core Bitcoin ETP, Physical Ethereum ETP, digital asset index products)
  • VanEck (wide range of single-asset and thematic crypto ETNs)

• Additional partners:
  21Shares, WisdomTree, iShares (BlackRock), among others

According to announcements and ING’s platform updates, customers can now access around 50 different crypto-linked instruments, covering up to 28 underlying digital assets and strategies.

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Special Trading Conditions (Bitwise Products)

Bitwise highlighted promotional terms for ING clients starting in February 2026:

• Orders ≥ €1,000 — executed fee-free
• Smaller orders — standard commission of €3.90

This fee structure makes larger, more strategic positions particularly attractive for retail investors entering the space.

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Why This Matters for European Crypto Adoption

Germany has long maintained a relatively progressive yet cautious stance toward digital assets:

• Crypto is recognized as private money under tax law
• Physically-backed ETPs/ETNs have been available on Xetra for years
• Major banks have been slow to integrate crypto products directly into retail banking interfaces

ING’s move lowers the entry barrier dramatically. Millions of existing ING securities account holders can now allocate to crypto within their familiar banking environment — without opening new accounts at crypto-native brokers or exchanges.

This follows similar integrations by other European banks and brokers and signals growing comfort among traditional financial institutions with regulated crypto wrappers.

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Risk Reminder from ING

The bank clearly states on its platform:

These products carry high risks due to the volatility of crypto markets.
Investors should only allocate funds they can afford to lose.

Despite the warning, the inclusion of major issuers like Bitwise and VanEck adds credibility and regulatory comfort for conservative retail investors.

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What’s Next?

• Will more German retail banks follow ING’s lead in 2026?
• Could staking yields embedded in ETN/ETP structures become more common?
• How will trading volumes on Xetra crypto products evolve after this retail on-ramp?

For now, ING Deutschland has taken a meaningful step toward making regulated crypto exposure feel as routine as buying stocks or ETFs.

Have you traded crypto ETPs/ETNs through a traditional bank broker?
What do you think of this development? Share your thoughts in the comments!