Bank Leumi, Israel’s largest bank, is partnering with Galaxy Digital (Nasdaq: GLXY) to become the first bank in the country to offer digital asset trading directly to its customers.
What customers will get
Clients of Leumi and PEPPER, the bank’s mobile banking arm, will be able to buy, hold and sell selected assets including bitcoin, ether and solana inside the Leumi Trade capital markets app.
Trading will happen in a dedicated, secured section of the application, with the service expected to go live in early 2027.
The bank will run on GalaxyOne Institutional, Galaxy’s platform built for banks and asset managers, and has also signed an agreement with Galaxy’s Custody Infrastructure platform, formerly known as GK8, to support its backend.
Bank frames it as innovation strategy
Maya Ravia, Head of Strategy at Bank Leumi, said the initiative is a central pillar of the bank’s innovation plans:
“We believe that digital assets are gradually becoming an integral part of the global financial system, and it is our role to enable customers to benefit from this development within a reliable, secure, and regulated banking framework.”
Galaxy targets first movers
Lior Lamesh, CEO of Galaxy Israel, argued that early-moving banks will shape the next phase of finance:
“Leumi is the first bank in Israel to bring digital assets to its customers, and it chose Galaxy, to make it possible. The digital assets market in Israel is growing rapidly, and we are proud to provide the foundation of trust for the country’s leading institutions.”
Bank Leumi was founded more than 120 years ago and operates without a controlling shareholder, serving households, small businesses and large corporations across Israel.