IG Europe and Bitpanda Partner to Expand Crypto Trading in Europe

IG Europe has signed a partnership agreement with Bitpanda to launch cryptocurrency trading for investors in Europe. Under this agreement, the Austrian exchange's infrastructure will provide liquidity, trade execution, and market data. Following the launch of this service in the UK in 2025, IG Group is now expanding into the broader European market, according to a report by Cointelegraph.com.

Esteve Jane, Managing Director of IG Europe, which is regulated by Germany's BaFin, emphasized that this partnership allows experienced investors access to a broader asset class. IG Group, listed on the London Stock Exchange's FTSE 100 index, has 1.3 million clients worldwide, and the deal with Bitpanda enables the company to offer crypto services without building its own infrastructure from scratch.

The entry into force of MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation) in the European Union has significantly increased requirements for capital, governance, and risk management for crypto services. In this environment, partnering with licensed platforms like Bitpanda is the most viable way to enter the market quickly. Although IG Group reported revenue of £331.2 million in the first quarter of this year, the share of crypto trading currently accounts for less than 1%.

Nevertheless, IG Group is expanding its crypto projects globally. The company acquired the Australian exchange Independent Reserve and launched spot trading there in March. Additionally, Bitpanda is currently developing an Ethereum layer-2 network called Vision Chain, which will allow banks to trade tokenized stocks and bonds in compliance with MiCA and MiFID II regulations.