- BBVA retail customers in Spain can now purchase, sell and hold Bitcoin and Ethereum directly through the bank’s mobile application under EU MiCA regulations.
- The service provides a self-directed platform without investment advice, focusing on secure transactions within a regulated banking environment.
- BBVA previously launched crypto services in Switzerland (2021) and Turkey (2023), making Spain its third market for digital asset offerings.
- The bank plans to expand beyond cryptocurrency into tokenised traditional assets such as bonds and funds as part of its broader digital transformation strategy.
BBVA retail clients in Spain can now buy, sell and hold Bitcoin and Ethereum directly from the bank’s mobile app. The move marks another milestone in the bank’s digital shift, giving everyday investors seamless access to crypto while staying inside a regulated, banking-grade framework.
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A MiCA-Ready Rollout
The launch comes as the European Union’s new Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation begins to reshape the playing field.
By aligning its platform with MiCA standards, BBVA aims to reassure customers that security and investor protections remain front and center. Access to the service is strictly customer-driven — BBVA won’t be providing crypto investment advice, but it will provide the rails to transact safely.
“We want to make it easier for our retail customers in Spain to invest in crypto-assets, through a simple and easy-to-access digital solution on their cell phone,” said Gonzalo Rodríguez, BBVA’s Head of Retail Banking for Spain. “Our goal is to support them as they explore digital assets, backed by the strength and security of a bank like BBVA.”
BBVA isn’t exactly new to digital assets. It first tested the waters in Switzerland in 2021, offering private clients access to BTC trading and later broadening that to ETH and USDC.
Two years later, its Turkish subsidiary Garanti BBVA went further, building a service that supports a wide range of tokens, from Solana to XRP and Avalanche. With Spain now live, BBVA has made crypto accessible in three of its key markets — and this time it’s targeting retail customers directly.
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More Than Just Bitcoin
Francisco Maroto, Head of Digital Assets, framed the expansion as part of a bigger transformation. “Following this launch in Spain, BBVA has added another country to its Digital Assets service,” he noted, pointing to plans to grow both crypto and tokenised traditional assets such as bonds and funds.
With MiCA regulation paving the way for compliant crypto services across the EU, BBVA is positioning itself as one of the first major banks in Europe to bring digital assets into mainstream retail banking.
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