In a sharp pivot that reflects how mainstream digital assets have become, Denmark’s largest lender has started allowing clients to trade exchange-traded products tied to bitcoin and ether. The decision effectively relaxes a restrictive posture that had been in place for years and positions the bank to compete in a market where regulated crypto exposure is increasingly in demand.
The move gives retail and institutional investors a familiar route into crypto markets without the need to manage wallets, private keys, or offshore exchange accounts. Instead, they can gain price exposure through instruments that behave like traditional securities.
Eight years of hesitation meet a changing market
For most of the past decade, many legacy banks across Europe discouraged or outright limited crypto participation. Compliance uncertainty, anti-money-laundering concerns, and extreme price swings made executives wary.
Bitcoin’s market capitalization has frequently hovered around or above the trillion-dollar mark during recent cycles, while ether has cemented its role as the backbone of decentralized finance and tokenization projects. Daily spot and derivatives volumes across global venues often exceed tens of billions of dollars, rivaling activity in some established commodity markets.
Why crypto ETPs are winning investor attention
Exchange-traded products have become the gateway of choice for traditional investors. Analysts estimate that European crypto ETP assets under management have grown several-fold since the early 2020s, with billions of dollars now parked in regulated vehicles.
The appeal is straightforward:
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Trades settle through existing brokerage accounts
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Reporting aligns with tax documentation investors already use
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Professional custodians handle security
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Liquidity is visible on public exchanges
Competitive pressure is real
Banks are also responding to client behavior. Surveys from financial research groups show a rising percentage of retail investors under 40 want at least some digital-asset exposure in diversified portfolios. In certain polls, that figure has topped 40%.
By offering ETP trading rather than direct token purchases, institutions can satisfy demand while keeping risk controls intact. It’s a compromise model that has rapidly become the industry standard.
What this means for customers right now
Clients will be able to buy and sell shares that mirror the performance of bitcoin and ether. They won’t hold the underlying coins, but they will participate in price movements, which is what most investors are after.
Costs typically include management fees that can range from around 0.5% to over 2% annually depending on the issuer and structure. Liquidity tends to track broader market sentiment tighter spreads during rallies, wider ones during turbulence.
Advisers still emphasize suitability. Crypto remains volatile: double-digit percentage swings within a single week are not unusual, and drawdowns of 50% or more have occurred in previous cycles.
A signal of broader normalization
Perhaps the biggest takeaway isn’t the product itself but what it represents. When a major Nordic bank that once kept strict distance now enables regulated exposure, it sends a message to the market that digital assets are becoming part of the financial furniture.
Institutional pipelines, research coverage, and compliance playbooks are all more mature than they were even three years ago. The shift from prohibition to participation is happening step by step.
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