Israeli Leumi Bank announced a partnership with Galaxy Digital that will enable its customers to trade Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana through its investment platform, with the service set to begin in early 2027.
As the two companies explained, Leumi Bank customers and Pepper, its mobile banking arm, customers will be able to buy and hold the three digital currencies and sell them through a dedicated section inside the Leumi Trade app. This means users won’t need to leave the banking environment to carry out these operations; they will be executed within the bank’s investment app.
This step takes on added significance because, as my decision stated, the launch will make it the first Israeli bank to offer digital asset trading services to its customers. The bank also noted that it serves millions of customers through its retail and corporate banking operations, giving the initiative broad reach in terms of potential access.
Technically, Leumi Bank will rely on GalaxyOne Institutional for trading and related services, while Galaxy’s custody infrastructure platform—formerly known as GK8—will support the bank’s digital asset infrastructure. This separation between trading and custody reflects the nature of cooperation between a traditional banking institution and a specialized digital asset infrastructure provider.
The partnership comes at a time when Galaxy reported a net loss of $85 million in the second quarter, attributing it largely to a decline in digital asset prices. However, the company said its digital asset activities generated $66 million in adjusted gross profit, up 34% from the previous quarter.
Galaxy Digital was founded under the leadership of Mike Novogratz, and its shares began trading on Nasdaq under the ticker GLXY in May 2025. As of Friday morning, the company’s shares were trading at $21.38, up about 2% during the day, but down by roughly 25% over the past year, according to Yahoo Finance data.
For users, this move represents an important step toward integrating digital assets into regulated banking channels, offering a more direct experience to buy, sell, and store major currencies through a familiar banking app. For the market, this partnership strengthens institutional interest in the infrastructure that enables banks to enter this space in a more regulated manner.