Bank Leumi Partners With Galaxy Digital to Offer Bitcoin, Ether and Solana Trading in Israel

Israel’s Bank Leumi is preparing to enter the cryptocurrency trading market through a new partnership with Galaxy Digital, giving millions of customers potential access to Bitcoin, Ether and Solana directly through the bank’s investment platform.

The companies announced Friday that the planned service is expected to launch in early 2027. If the rollout proceeds as planned, Leumi would become the first Israeli bank to offer digital asset trading services to its customers, marking a significant development for cryptocurrency adoption within the country’s traditional banking sector.

The new service is expected to allow customers of both Bank Leumi and Pepper, the bank’s mobile banking arm, to buy, hold and sell selected cryptocurrencies through a dedicated section of the Leumi Trade app.

The initial offering will focus on three of the largest and most widely recognized digital assets: Bitcoin (BTC), Ether (ETH) and Solana (SOL).

Bank Leumi Moves Into Crypto Trading

The partnership represents a major step for Bank Leumi as traditional financial institutions continue to expand their involvement in digital assets.

Source: Cointelegraph

Under the planned arrangement, Leumi customers will not need to rely exclusively on separate cryptocurrency exchanges to gain exposure to the supported assets. Instead, the bank intends to integrate cryptocurrency trading into its existing investment platform.

Customers will be able to access the digital asset service through the Leumi Trade app, creating a more direct connection between traditional banking and cryptocurrency investing.

The companies said the service will be designed to provide customers with the ability to buy, hold and sell Bitcoin, Ether and Solana.

The planned launch in early 2027 also gives the bank time to complete the technological, operational and regulatory work required to introduce digital asset services within its banking infrastructure.

Galaxy Digital to Provide Trading and Infrastructure

Galaxy Digital will play a central role in supporting the new service.

Bank Leumi said it will use GalaxyOne Institutional for trading and related services. The platform is designed to provide institutional clients with infrastructure for accessing and managing digital asset markets.

Galaxy will also provide digital asset custody infrastructure through its platform formerly known as GK8.

The custody component is particularly important because banks entering the cryptocurrency market must address how digital assets are securely stored and managed. By using Galaxy’s infrastructure, Leumi can integrate institutional-grade digital asset technology into its planned offering rather than building every component internally.

The partnership therefore extends beyond simple cryptocurrency trading. It involves trading services, custody technology and the infrastructure required to connect digital assets with a major banking platform.

What Cryptocurrencies Will Leumi Customers Be Able to Trade?

The initial service will support three cryptocurrencies.

Bitcoin (BTC) remains the largest and most established digital asset by market recognition. It has increasingly attracted attention from institutional investors and traditional financial companies.

Ether (ETH) is the native cryptocurrency of Ethereum and is widely used across the decentralized finance and blockchain ecosystem.

Solana (SOL) is another major blockchain asset that has developed a substantial user and developer base, particularly across decentralized applications and digital asset markets.

By selecting BTC, ETH and SOL for the initial rollout, Leumi and Galaxy are focusing on three prominent assets rather than launching with a broad range of cryptocurrencies.

The companies did not indicate that the initial service would support additional tokens at launch.

Leumi Serves Millions of Customers

The scale of Bank Leumi makes the announcement particularly significant for Israel’s digital asset industry.

According to Leumi, the bank serves millions of customers across its retail and business operations. Bringing cryptocurrency trading into an established banking environment could therefore introduce digital assets to a much larger audience than services offered by specialized crypto platforms alone.

Pepper customers will also be included in the planned service, expanding the potential reach to users of Leumi’s mobile banking operation.

For customers who are already familiar with traditional investment products through their bank, having access to digital assets within the same ecosystem could reduce some of the friction associated with entering the cryptocurrency market.

However, the service is not expected to launch immediately. Customers will have to wait until early 2027 for the planned rollout.

Partnership Comes as Galaxy Reports $85 Million Loss

The announcement comes at a notable moment for Galaxy Digital.

The company reported an $85 million net loss in the second quarter, with declining digital asset prices accounting for much of the pressure on its results.

Despite the overall loss, Galaxy’s digital assets business continued to generate positive operating performance. The company reported $66 million in adjusted gross profit from its digital assets business, representing an increase of 34% from the previous quarter.

The contrasting figures highlight the volatility of the cryptocurrency industry. Digital asset prices can have a significant impact on companies operating across trading, investment and related financial services, while individual business divisions can continue generating revenue even during periods of weaker market conditions.

Galaxy’s involvement with Bank Leumi nevertheless demonstrates the company’s continued focus on institutional digital asset infrastructure.

Galaxy Digital’s Nasdaq Expansion

Galaxy Digital was founded and is led by Mike Novogratz, a prominent figure in the cryptocurrency and investment industry.

The company began trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker GLXY in May 2025, giving Galaxy a presence on one of the world's best-known stock exchanges.

Galaxy shares were trading at $21.38 on Friday morning, representing an increase of approximately 2% on the day. However, the stock remained down roughly 25% over the past year, according to Yahoo Finance data cited in the original report.

The stock performance underscores the challenging market environment facing publicly traded companies with significant exposure to digital assets.

At the same time, Galaxy’s partnership with one of Israel’s largest banks could strengthen its position as a provider of institutional cryptocurrency infrastructure.

A Potential Turning Point for Israeli Banking

Bank Leumi’s planned cryptocurrency trading service could represent an important milestone for the relationship between Israel’s banking industry and digital assets.

For years, cryptocurrency users have often relied on specialized exchanges and digital asset companies to buy and sell tokens. A major traditional bank offering the service through its own investment platform could signal a broader shift toward integrating cryptocurrencies into mainstream financial services.

The significance of the announcement also extends beyond Bitcoin.

By planning to offer Bitcoin, Ether and Solana, Leumi is positioning digital assets alongside more traditional investment products rather than treating cryptocurrency solely as a separate financial category.

The partnership could also encourage other financial institutions in Israel to consider similar services if customer demand proves strong.

What Happens Next?

The immediate focus will be on preparing the technology and infrastructure required for the planned launch.

Bank Leumi and Galaxy Digital are expected to work on integrating trading and custody systems while ensuring the service is ready for customers when the early 2027 target arrives.

If successfully launched, the service would give Leumi and Pepper customers a new way to access cryptocurrency markets through an established Israeli financial institution.

The move also places Bank Leumi at the forefront of Israel’s evolving digital asset sector. Becoming the country’s first bank to offer direct digital asset trading could give the institution an early advantage as cryptocurrency becomes increasingly connected with mainstream financial markets.

For Galaxy Digital, meanwhile, the partnership provides another example of its strategy of working with institutional clients and financial institutions seeking regulated and professional digital asset infrastructure.

As the cryptocurrency industry continues to mature, partnerships such as this one could become increasingly important. The planned early 2027 launch will therefore be closely watched by investors, banks and cryptocurrency users in Israel and beyond.

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