The second largest bank in Spain, BBVA, holds a stake in the cryptocurrency custody platform Garanti BBVA Kripto, which will provide cryptocurrency trading services. According to Golden Financial and CoinDesk, the Spanish banking giant BBVA is deepening its involvement in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. As of December 2023, BBVA holds nearly 86% of the cryptocurrency custody platform Garanti BBVA Kripto, which will soon offer cryptocurrency trading services to the public. Founded in 2014, the Spanish cryptocurrency exchange Bit2Me will serve as the trading execution center. With the (crypto asset market regulation) (MiCA) coming into full effect across the EU, BBVA's partnership with the exchange is seen by Bit2Me's Chief Sales Officer Abel Peña as a strong signal that more new developments are on the way. Peña stated in an interview: 'I believe that by 2025, we will see many banks in Europe offering cryptocurrency spot trading services to their users. We maintain very close ties with over 50 financial institutions across Europe and international markets, which will start launching their services in the first quarter of 2025.'