TLDR
Israels oldest and largest bank, Bank Leumi, plans to let customers trade Bitcoin directly in its app through a new partnership with Galaxy Digital.
- From early 2027, Leumi and PEPPER customers are expected to buy, hold and sell BTC, ETH and SOL inside the Leumi Trade app, pending Bank of Israel approval.
- The service uses Galaxys trading and custody infrastructure to offer regulated, bank-style crypto access, a meaningful step in mainstreaming digital assets in Israel.
- Key unknowns include fees, withdrawal rules and final regulatory conditions, and other Israeli banks may follow if Leumis rollout succeeds.
Deep Dive
1. What Bank Leumi Is Launching
Bank Leumi has partnered with Galaxy Digital to offer Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana trading directly inside its Leumi Trade investment app and PEPPER mobile banking platform, starting in early 2027 if regulators approve the service, according to multiple reports such as this announcement.
Galaxys GalaxyOne Institutional platform will handle trading, while its GK8-based custody infrastructure will safeguard the assets under a white label, so customers see Leumi as the provider even though Galaxy runs the back end.
Clients will interact with crypto much like other securities in their brokerage account, meaning Leumi manages custody and tax reporting, while customers do not hold their own private keys and crypto holdings are not covered by standard deposit insurance.
2. Why This Matters For Crypto
Putting BTC, ETH and SOL inside a mainstream banking app is a significant signal that digital assets are being treated as a standard investment product in Israel rather than a niche, separate market.
Leumis move builds on regulatory proposals in 2026 that lower risk flags on transfers from licensed crypto firms and set clearer capital and cybersecurity rules, making regulated bank-based access more practical, as outlined in this detailed coverage.
Over 25 percent of Israelis have already used digital assets and about 22 billion dollars in onchain crypto value entered Israel in the year to June 2025, so a large incumbent bank adding in-app BTC trading could channel that existing interest into a more supervised environment.
More mainstream investors in Israel could access BTC, ETH and SOL through familiar bank channels, though they give up self custody and rely on the bank and Galaxy for security and access.
3. What To Watch Next
The biggest near term dependency is formal approval from the Bank of Israel and other supervisors, which still need to sign off on Leumis crypto service before the planned early 2027 launch.
Important design details remain undisclosed, including fees, minimum trade sizes, whether customers can withdraw coins to external wallets, and how asset lists might expand beyond the initial BTC, ETH and SOL set.
If Leumis product gains traction without regulatory setbacks, it could pressure other major Israeli banks to offer similar crypto access, gradually increasing bank mediated demand for large cap assets while reinforcing a custodial, compliance focused model.
Risk note: if future rules restrict withdrawals or tighten bank responsibilities, these channels could limit flexibility for users even as they broaden initial access.
Conclusion
Bank Leumis decision to add in app trading for Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana marks a meaningful step in bringing crypto into Israels core banking system, contingent on regulators finalizing supportive rules.
For crypto users, it points to a world where large banks offer regulated exposure to major coins alongside traditional assets, while leaving self custody and broader asset choice to specialist exchanges and onchain platforms.
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