Bank Leumi, Israel’s largest bank, has partnered with Galaxy Digital to become the first financial institution in the country to offer direct digital asset trading to its retail and institutional customers.
The partnership, announced on August 14, will allow customers of Leumi and its mobile banking arm Pepper to buy, hold and sell bitcoin, ether and solana within a dedicated section of the Leumi Trade capital markets application. The service is expected to launch in early 2027, pending regulatory approvals.
Galaxy Provides Full Stack Infrastructure
Galaxy Digital (Nasdaq: GLXY) will supply the trading infrastructure through GalaxyOne Institutional, its platform built specifically for banks, asset managers and other institutions. Bank Leumi has also signed an agreement to use Galaxy’s custody infrastructure, formerly known as GK8, to secure customer digital assets.
The integration means Leumi customers will interact with crypto through a regulated banking interface rather than standalone exchanges. Maya Ravia, Leumi’s head of strategy, said digital assets are “gradually becoming an integral part of the global financial system” and that the bank’s role is to provide access “within a reliable, secure, and regulated banking framework.”
Lior Lamesh, CEO of Galaxy Israel, framed the deal as part of a broader shift in global finance. “The future of finance will run on open, programmable rails, and we believe the banks that move first will define the era that follows,” he said.
A Growing Wave of Bank-Led Crypto Access
The deal places Bank Leumi among a growing list of traditional financial institutions worldwide that are integrating digital asset services into existing customer platforms. In recent months, similar announcements have come from banks across Europe, Asia and the Americas, as the institutional crypto infrastructure matures.
Israel’s digital asset market has been growing rapidly, with a robust ecosystem of startups, developers and investors. By embedding crypto trading inside its capital markets app, Leumi is betting that customers will prefer the familiarity and regulatory protections of their existing bank over opening accounts with crypto-native exchanges.
Neither company disclosed commercial terms, fee structures or specific customer eligibility requirements for the service. Galaxy Digital, headquartered in New York with offices globally, has been expanding its institutional platform as part of a broader strategy to connect traditional finance with on-chain infrastructure.
Sources: Galaxy Digital newsroom; CoinDesk; PR Newswire
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