Fibank teams with Bitpanda to add crypto trading in its app

Fibank says it will become the first bank in Bulgaria to give customers integrated access to crypto asset services through its My Fibank mobile app after a new partnership with Bitpanda. The move brings regulated digital asset access into a bank app and could widen crypto trading for Bulgarian customers using a minimum entry point of €1.

Why it matters: - Fibank is positioning itself as the first bank in Bulgaria to offer direct, integrated crypto asset access inside a mobile banking app. - The move gives customers a way to manage traditional banking and digital assets in one place. - The partnership targets growing demand for regulated digital asset services in Europe.

What happened: - Fibank (First Investment Bank) and Bitpanda GmbH signed a strategic partnership agreement. - Fibank customers will get technical access to Bitpanda’s crypto asset services through the My Fibank mobile application. - The integration will let approved customers use Bitpanda’s interface inside My Fibank. - Fibank says access will be available 24/7 after a straightforward application process. - The minimum investment threshold will be €1.

The details: - Bitpanda is an Austria-based, fully licensed crypto asset service provider. - Customers will be able to track, manage and optimize digital assets alongside their banking and investment portfolio in one app. - Crypto asset services will be provided by Bitpanda. - Access will depend on Bitpanda’s acceptance of the customer and Bitpanda’s applicable terms and criteria. - Fibank says the integration expands My Fibank into a broader digital financial environment for banking, savings and investment services. - Fibank says the rollout will happen in compliance with applicable regulatory requirements. - Fibank is one of the leading banking institutions in Bulgaria and the largest bank with Bulgarian-owned capital. - Fibank operates in Bulgaria, Cyprus and Albania.

Between the lines: - The partnership reflects a wider push by European banks to offer digital asset products without building the infrastructure themselves. - Fibank is using Bitpanda’s enterprise platform rather than creating a standalone crypto offering. - The structure suggests the bank wants crypto access to feel like a standard banking feature rather than a separate exchange product. - Digital assets do not carry the guarantees or compensation schemes that apply to traditional deposits and financial instruments, so customer risk remains higher. - Bitpanda said the partnership brings crypto to more than one million Fibank customers through a banking experience they already know and trust. - Bitpanda Enterprise already provides digital asset access across the EU, the UK, the UAE and Latin America. - Bitpanda Enterprise counts N26, Société Générale, Deutsche Börse Group, selected Raiffeisen Banks, RAKBANK and Onda Finance among its partners.

What's next: - Fibank customers will need to apply before getting access to the service. - The new functionality will roll out inside My Fibank as part of the app’s digital banking features. - Fibank says the partnership marks a step toward turning My Fibank into a comprehensive digital financial environment. - The bank is likely to use the launch as a test case for broader digital asset adoption in Bulgaria.

The bottom line: - Fibank is bringing bank-grade crypto access into its mobile app, and that could set a new standard for digital asset distribution in Bulgaria.