Bank Leumi, Israel's largest bank, will offer Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana trading via Galaxy from early 2027, becoming the first Israeli bank to provide direct crypto access.
Israel's largest bank, Bank Leumi, plans to offer Bitcoin, Ether and Solana trading through its investment app from early 2027, using infrastructure from Galaxy Digital.
Galaxy announced the partnership on Aug. 14. Customers of Leumi and its mobile banking arm PEPPER will be able to buy, hold and sell the three cryptocurrencies inside a secured section of the Leumi Trade app, the companies said.
Bank Leumi, founded more than 120 years ago, serves millions of households and businesses. The service will make it the first Israeli bank to offer direct digital asset trading, according to the announcement.
Maya Ravia, head of strategy at Bank Leumi, said the initiative would provide "simple, secure, and regulated access" to digital asset trading. "We believe that digital assets are gradually becoming an integral part of the global financial system," she said.
Rather than build every component internally, Leumi will use two Galaxy products. GalaxyOne Institutional will handle trading and related services, while Galaxy's Custody Infrastructure platform, formerly known as GK8, will support the bank's digital asset operations. Galaxy acquired GK8 from bankrupt crypto lender Celsius in 2023 and later folded the technology into its institutional business.
Lior Lamesh, CEO of Galaxy Israel, described the arrangement as a single platform linking trading and custody for banks. "The future of finance will run on open, programmable rails, and we believe the banks that move first will define the era that follows," Lamesh said.
The announcement did not disclose trading fees, minimum purchase amounts, or whether the bank will add more assets after launch. It also did not specify whether all customers will receive access at once or whether the service will begin with a phased rollout.
The Leumi agreement follows several 2026 deals through which Galaxy has supplied crypto infrastructure or services to established financial institutions. In August, BNY added Galaxy's staking infrastructure to its Digital Asset Custody platform, allowing eligible institutional clients to hold and stake supported assets through one servicing model, subject to regulatory review.
In June, Galaxy entered a Morgan Stanley arrangement for eligible wealth-management clients holding Bitcoin, Ether and Solana. Under the referral setup, clients can lend at least $5 million in digital assets to Galaxy and receive shares in spot crypto investment products, including the Morgan Stanley Bitcoin Trust. Morgan Stanley, which carries an Alpha Score of 62 on AlphaScala, also tapped Galaxy for that service.
The Leumi deal differs in customer scope because it places direct buying, holding and selling functions inside a retail-facing bank application. The BNY agreement focuses on staking for eligible institutions, while the Morgan Stanley arrangement serves high-net-worth clients moving existing crypto exposure into investment products.
Galaxy also operates regulated digital asset services in the United States. In May, its GalaxyOne Prime NY subsidiary secured a BitLicense and a Money Transmission License from the New York State Department of Financial Services. The approvals allow the subsidiary to provide digital asset trading and custody services to hedge funds, registered investment advisers and family offices in New York. At the time of the approval, Galaxy said its platform managed about $9 billion in client assets and held more than 50 licenses across its international regulatory network.
New York's framework requires licensed digital asset companies to meet capital, compliance and cybersecurity requirements. Galaxy became the second company to receive a BitLicense in 2026, following payments company Strike. Other license holders include Coinbase, Circle, Robinhood and PayPal.
Outside its digital asset operations, Galaxy also develops data center infrastructure in the United States. The company's Helios campus in Texas anchors a planned pipeline with more than 5.7 gigawatts of potential capacity, according to its Aug. 14 announcement.
Bank Leumi operates without a controlling shareholder and serves individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, and large corporations through physical branches and digital services. The bank said its customer base covers millions of households.
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