Belgium’s KBC Becomes First Bank in the Country to Offer Bitcoin Trading to Retail Investors

Belgium's second-largest bank, KBC Group, is set to become the first in the country to offer retail clients the ability to buy and sell cryptocurrencies, starting the week of February 16th through its online investment platform, Bolero. This offering will operate under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation (MiCAR), following KBC's submission of a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) notification. The service will initially be limited to Bitcoin and Ether, utilizing an execution-only model where customers make their own decisions after passing a knowledge and experience test regarding risks like volatility and total loss. KBC is implementing a "closed-loop" model to mitigate fraud, restricting transfers to external wallets, and will provide custody services. The move is partly driven by demographic trends, as many younger Belgians already invest in crypto, and Bolero's customer base skews young.

(Source：Bitcoin Magazine)