Leumi Partners with Galaxy Digital for Crypto Trading

Bank Leumi, Israel's largest bank, is partnering with Galaxy Digital to offer its retail customers the ability to buy and sell Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Solana (SOL) through its Leumi Trade app.

The service, which will launch in early 2027 pending regulatory approval from the Bank of Israel, uses Galaxy's trading and on-chain storage infrastructure. Users of Leumi and PEPPER (Bank Leumi's mobile-only banking arm) accounts will have access to a secure area within the Leumi Trade app where they can buy, sell, or hold these assets long-term.

The partnership makes Leumi the first bank in Israel to offer its customers direct access to digital assets. Galaxy Digital is supplying the infrastructure for the service and has also signed on Bank Leumi to use its custody arm, formerly GK8, to safeguard customer assets.

This move comes after a previous attempt by Leumi to offer BTC and ETH trading through Paxos in 2022 stalled due to regulatory hurdles. However, with recent changes in Israeli regulations, the bank believes this new partnership will clear the necessary approval from the Bank of Israel.