Bank Leumi crypto trading is officially coming to Israel. The country’s largest bank has agreed to let customers buy, hold and sell bitcoin, ether and solana starting in early 2027, marking the first time an Israeli bank has committed to offering digital asset trading directly to its retail customers.
Key takeaways
- Bank Leumi will launch crypto trading for customers starting in early 2027, becoming the first Israeli bank to announce such a service.
- Supported assets include bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH) and solana (SOL), available to both Leumi and Pepper customers.
- Galaxy Digital will handle trading through its GalaxyOne Institutional platform and custody through infrastructure formerly known as GK8.
- Trading will sit inside the existing Leumi Trade capital-markets app rather than a separate crypto exchange.
- Neither company has disclosed fees, commercial terms or customer eligibility requirements yet.
Bank Leumi to Launch Crypto Trading Service in Early 2027
Bank Leumi customers won’t need to open an account on an outside exchange to get exposure to digital assets. The bank confirmed it will roll out cryptocurrency trading directly through its own infrastructure starting in early 2027, a move that positions it as the first Israeli lender to make such a commitment public. The announcement, made through a joint release with Galaxy Digital, frames the move as part of a broader push by Leumi to widen its menu of financial services.
This matters beyond Israel’s borders too. Banks worldwide have largely kept crypto trading at arm’s length, routing curious customers toward third-party platforms instead of building the rails themselves. Leumi’s decision to build crypto access into its own regulated environment signals a shift many industry watchers have anticipated: banks stop treating digital assets as an external risk and start treating them as a product line.
Supported Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana
The service will cover three tokens at launch: bitcoin, ether and solana. Customers of both Bank Leumi and its mobile banking arm, Pepper, will be able to buy, hold and sell these assets. The offering is deliberately limited compared to the hundreds of tokens available on typical crypto exchanges, a choice that suggests the bank is prioritizing liquidity and regulatory comfort over breadth of selection.
Integration within Leumi Trade Capital-Markets App
Rather than launching a standalone crypto app, Leumi is embedding the new trading function inside a dedicated, secured section of its existing Leumi Trade capital-markets application. That design choice is strategic. By keeping crypto trading inside the same app customers already use for stocks and other securities, the bank is betting that clients will prefer a familiar, regulated banking interface over juggling a separate crypto exchange account.
Galaxy Digital Powers Crypto Trading and Custody Infrastructure
Galaxy Digital is the engine behind the entire offering, supplying both the trading rails and the custody backbone that will keep customer assets secure. For Galaxy, landing Bank Leumi as a client gives the firm its first banking partner inside Israel and adds another institutional name to its growing client roster.
GalaxyOne Institutional Platform for Trading Services
Trading and related services will run through GalaxyOne Institutional, the platform Galaxy built specifically for banks, asset managers and other large institutions. The platform is designed to deliver institutional-grade execution, which is presumably why Leumi selected it over building proprietary trading infrastructure from scratch.
Use of Galaxy’s Custody Infrastructure Formerly Known as GK8
Alongside the trading agreement, Leumi has signed a separate deal to use Galaxy’s custody infrastructure — the platform previously known as GK8 — to safeguard digital assets tied to the new service. Pairing trading and custody under one provider gives Leumi a single point of institutional accountability for both moving and storing customer crypto holdings.
Strategic and Regulatory Considerations
The partnership comes wrapped in confident language from both sides, but plenty of operational specifics remain unaddressed for now. Maya Ravia, Leumi’s digital assets are becoming an increasingly integral part of the global financial system, according to the head of strategy, framing the bank’s move as a way to give customers “simple, secure, and regulated access to trading digital assets” through established technological infrastructure. Lior Lamesh, CEO of Galaxy Israel, said early-moving banks would help define the next era of finance built on open, programmable rails, adding that Galaxy aims to provide “the foundation of trust” for Israel’s leading financial institutions.
No Disclosure of Commercial Terms, Fees, or Eligibility
What customers will actually pay to trade, and who exactly qualifies for access, hasn’t been revealed. Bank Leumi and Galaxy Digital did not disclose commercial terms, fees or customer eligibility requirements in their announcement, leaving those details for a later date closer to the 2027 launch window.
Bank Leumi’s Vision on Digital Assets as Integral to Global Finance
Leumi’s framing treats crypto not as a speculative side venture but as a natural extension of its existing capital-markets business. That positioning matters for how regulators and competitors interpret the move — this isn’t a fintech spinoff or a niche pilot program, it’s the country’s largest bank building crypto access into its core banking app.
Early Movers Defining Finance’s Future on Programmable Infrastructure
Galaxy’s pitch to banks rests on the idea that whoever moves first on programmable financial infrastructure will shape how the rest of the industry follows. Landing Bank Leumi as a partner gives that argument a concrete example, and it puts Galaxy in a strong position to court other traditional lenders weighing similar moves toward regulated crypto access.
Why This Matters for Israel’s Banking Sector
Leumi’s announcement lands at a moment when financial institutions across multiple markets are experimenting with embedding digital asset access directly into customer-facing platforms, rather than pushing users toward external exchanges. For Israeli consumers, the practical upside is straightforward: a path to trading bitcoin, ether and solana without leaving a bank’s regulated environment. For competitors, the pressure is now on to decide whether they follow Leumi’s lead or risk ceding ground to a rival that already has infrastructure and a partner in place.
Whether other Israeli banks respond with their own crypto offerings before Leumi’s 2027 launch, or whether they wait to see how the rollout performs, will likely shape how quickly digital asset trading becomes a standard banking feature rather than a niche add-on.
FAQ
When will Bank Leumi launch cryptocurrency trading for its customers?
Bank Leumi plans to launch cryptocurrency trading services from early 2027.
Which cryptocurrencies will be supported in Bank Leumi’s trading service?
Customers will be able to buy, hold and sell bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), and solana (SOL).
What platform will Bank Leumi use for crypto trading services?
Galaxy Digital will provide trading services through its GalaxyOne Institutional platform.
Are commercial terms, fees, or customer eligibility details disclosed?
No, the companies did not disclose commercial terms, fees, or customer eligibility requirements.
Article produced with the assistance of artificial intelligence and reviewed by the editorial team.
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