Germany’s largest network of banks, Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, is entering the world of digital assets. The group will offer bitcoin and ethereum trading to its private customers by summer 2026. With 50 million customers and over €2.5 trillion in assets under management, Sparkassen’s move could speed up bitcoin adoption in Germany and across Europe. For years, Sparkassen avoided digital assets. In 2015, the banking group even blocked digital-asset-related transactions due to volatility, fraud and lack of investor protection. In 2023, the board of Sparkassen voted against offering digital asset services, calling digital assets “highly speculative”, but things seem to have taken a …