Garanti BBVA Kripto, operated by Turkey's Garanti BBVA, will soon offer cryptocurrency trading services to the public, leveraging the Spanish crypto exchange Bit2Me for execution. This initiative comes after the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation took effect on December 30, 2024, signaling that European banks will increasingly dive into the crypto market. Abel Peña, Bit2Me's chief sales officer, anticipates that many banks in Europe will launch crypto spot trading services early in 2025. BBVA's move to embrace crypto in Turkey was partly due to a favorable regulatory environment, which has now transitioned to the broader European market. Noteworthy is the impact of U.S. political developments, including President-elect Donald Trump's supportive stance on crypto, which may have influenced the growing enthusiasm among banks towards cryptocurrencies. With BBVA managing $857 billion in assets, its entry into crypto trading marks a significant moment for financial institutions in Europe as they align with the new regulatory landscape.

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