TLDR
Israels largest bank, Bank Leumi, plans to let customers trade Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL) inside its investment app in partnership with Galaxy Digital, starting in early 2027.
- Bank Leumi will offer in?app BTC, ETH, and SOL trading for Leumi and Pepper customers via the Leumi Trade platform, powered by Galaxys trading and custody infrastructure.
- The move makes Leumi the first Israeli bank to provide direct crypto trading in a regulated banking interface, reflecting a broader shift toward institutional adoption of digital assets.
- The service still depends on Bank of Israel approval, and key details like supported assets beyond the initial three and withdrawal options will shape how impactful this channel becomes.
Deep Dive
1. What Bank Leumi Is Doing
Bank Leumi has announced a partnership with Galaxy Digital to enable customers of Leumi and its mobile arm Pepper to buy, hold, and sell BTC, ETH, and SOL through a dedicated section of the Leumi Trade app, using GalaxyOne Institutional for trading and Galaxys GK8 custody infrastructure as the backend rails for the service.Bank Leumi partners with Galaxy Digital
Multiple reports confirm that the launch is targeted for early 2027 and that Leumi would be the first bank in Israel to offer direct digital asset trading from within a regulated banking platform.Israels largest bank taps Galaxy
The initial asset list is focused on large caps with deep liquidity, specifically Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana, with trading integrated alongside stocks and bonds in the Leumi Trade capital markets app.Leumi in?app BTC ETH SOL trading details
2. Why It Matters For Crypto
This move gives Israeli retail and wealth clients a way to access major crypto assets through their main bank rather than a standalone exchange, lowering onboarding friction and leveraging Leumis existing know?your?customer and compliance stack.Leumi become first bank in Israel with direct crypto access
Regulatory changes in Israel in mid?2026, including clearer rules for handling crypto?linked deposits and an allowance for trading top?50 large?cap coins, created a more workable environment for banks to open regulated crypto on?ramps, which Leumi is now using for a second attempt after a stalled 2022 plan.New Israeli crypto rules enabling bank participation
For mainstream Israeli users, BTC, ETH, and SOL exposure could increasingly look like another asset class inside a familiar banking app rather than a separate, higher?friction crypto platform.
3. What To Watch Next
The launch is still contingent on Bank of Israel approval, the same gate that blocked Leumis earlier Paxos?based initiative, so regulatory follow?through will determine whether this plan actually goes live on the early?2027 timeline.Regulatory dependency and past approval failure
Important unknowns include whether Leumi will expand beyond the initial three coins, how withdrawals and self?custody will be handled, and what fee and spread structure customers will face compared with dedicated crypto exchanges.Outstanding service scope questions
Confidence: high, because multiple independent outlets and company statements are aligned on the partnership, timing, and initial BTC/ETH/SOL focus.
Conclusion
Bank Leumis planned BTC, ETH, and SOL trading channel signals that regulated banks are increasingly willing to embed crypto access directly into their core investment apps. If Bank of Israel approval arrives and the product design remains competitive on assets and fees, this could materially deepen mainstream crypto participation in Israel and add another example of traditional finance and digital assets converging inside the banking system.
