Fibank integrates Bitpanda crypto services into its mobile banking app
Approved Fibank customers will be able to access Bitpanda’s crypto-asset service through the My Fibank app, with the bank remaining separate from the crypto provider.
Fibank and Bitpanda announced October 12 that Bitpanda's crypto-asset services will be integrated into Fibank's My Fibank mobile application, giving approved bank customers access to crypto through an in-app interface.
The service is provided by Bitpanda rather than by Fibank itself. Customers must be accepted by Bitpanda and meet its applicable terms and criteria, even though the access point sits inside the bank's mobile application. The companies said the minimum investment threshold is €1.
The arrangement reflects a middle path for banks that want to offer customers access to digital assets without building a custody and trading operation internally. The bank controls the distribution and customer experience, while the specialist provider supplies the crypto-asset infrastructure, onboarding and execution layer.
That division also matters for customer expectations. An in-app crypto service is not necessarily the same thing as a bank deposit or a bank-guaranteed investment, and the relevant custody, volatility and loss protections depend on the provider and product terms. Fibank and Bitpanda did not announce a new token or a separate bank-issued crypto product with the partnership.