Bankinter Invests in Bit2Me Alongside Tether and BBVA

Bankinter Enters the Cryptocurrency Market

Spanish bank Bankinter has acquired a minority stake in the cryptocurrency exchange Bit2Me, joining stablecoin issuers Tether and other investors as traditional banks deepen their ties with the digital asset industry. The investment announcement was made on Wednesday, making Bankinter the latest major financial institution to support Bit2Me, following a €30 million (approximately $34.9 million) funding round announced in August.

The investment aims to create technological and knowledge synergies, supporting Bit2Me's expansion across Spain and the European Union. This $34 million investment round is significant among European cryptocurrency exchanges, ranking fourth in publicly announced value, following three investment rounds by Austrian platform Bitpanda.

Bit2Me became the first Spanish-speaking fintech to receive authorization from the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV) as a cryptocurrency service provider under MiCA regulation in July 2025. Pablo Casadío, CFO of Bit2Me, stated, "This alliance confirms that banks can leverage our deep expertise in the sector to enhance their offerings. Instead of competing, we are combining our strengths."

Bankinter's investment in Bit2Me follows a series of entries by major banks into the cryptocurrency industry. For instance, British bank Standard Chartered has been reported to be exploring the launch of a primary brokerage platform for cryptocurrency, while Morgan Stanley has applied for an Ether-based investment ETF, marking its third such application.