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Denmark's largest bank, Danske Bank, is reviewing its digital asset policy. Eight years after the introduction of a total ban on transactions with cryptocurrencies, the financial institution is now opening access to bitcoin and ethereum to its customers. It is important to note that trading will be carried out exclusively through exchange-traded products (ETPs) issued under the supervision of regulated providers.

These changes will take effect for users of the Danske eBanking and Danske Mobile Banking platforms. Only those clients who previously had the right to independently conduct transactions through the banking infrastructure are allowed to participate in trading. Direct ownership of cryptocurrencies is still not provided: the bank does not offer token storage services and does not open individual crypto wallets.

Danske Bank chose ETP from such well-known issuers as BlackRock and WisdomTree as its investment tools. These companies operate in accordance with European financial markets legislation, and their products comply with the requirements of the MiFID II Directive.

At the same time, the bank emphasizes that it maintains its conservative position towards crypto assets as a class. Danske Bank considers bitcoin and ethereum ETPs as speculative instruments that are not recommended for long-term investment portfolios. The bank's employees will not offer these products as part of consulting and will not form model portfolios based on them. Any transaction with an ETP will be possible only after the client has passed a special assessment procedure confirming his understanding of the specifics of the asset, its high volatility and all associated risks, up to the complete loss of invested funds.

Danske Bank's decision to lift the eight-year ban on operations with cryptocurrencies is the result of serious legislative changes. The bank still adheres to its conservative policy: it does not promote cryptocurrencies, does not make any recommendations on them, and does not create a false sense of security around extremely volatile assets. However, the bank recognizes that digital currencies have moved out of the category of secondary phenomena. MiCA regulations have created a favorable environment where large market participants can operate safely, minimizing reputational and legal risks. Danske Bank has decided to use this opportunity to the extent consistent with its own risk assessment.