IG plans to expand crypto trading across Europe through Bitpanda, as the London-listed trading group grows its digital asset offering beyond the U.K.
Summary
- IG plans to expand crypto trading across Europe using Bitpanda’s liquidity, trading connectivity, and market data.
- IG reported £331.2 million in Q1 2026 revenue, with spot crypto contributing £2.4 million.
- Bitpanda holds MiCA licenses in Germany and Malta, supporting crypto services across the EU.
IG’s European division will use Bitpanda’s infrastructure to offer digital asset access to investors in Europe, CoinDesk reported, citing an emailed statement. The setup will include liquidity, trading connectivity, and market data from Bitpanda.
The company did not give a timeline for the wider European rollout. The move follows IG’s launch of crypto trading for U.K. retail customers last year, giving the group a base to expand similar services into the European market.
Bitpanda provides liquidity and market data
Bitpanda will support IG’s European crypto expansion through its exchange infrastructure. Bitpanda’s role will cover core services needed to provide crypto access, including liquidity and trading connections.
Bitpanda is based in Vienna and holds licenses under the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation in Germany and Malta. Those licenses allow the exchange to offer crypto services across the bloc under MiCA’s passporting framework.
Moreover, IG is one of Europe’s best-known retail trading platforms. The company introduced financial spread betting to the U.K. in the early 1970s and now gives clients access to equities, foreign exchange, commodities, and derivatives markets.
The company has 1.3 million clients globally. That existing user base gives IG a large audience for crypto trading as more traditional platforms add digital asset access.
IG also reported £331.2 million, or about $445 million, in revenue for the first quarter of 2026. Spot crypto contributed £2.4 million, or about $3.2 million, showing that crypto remains a small but active part of the group’s trading business.
European crypto push follows earlier deals
IG has already been expanding its crypto footprint through other deals. Related coverage said IG agreed to acquire 70% of Australian crypto exchange Independent Reserve for A$109.6 million, with the full deal valuing the exchange at A$178 million.
The company also sold Small Exchange to Kraken. Related coverage said Kraken acquired the CFTC-regulated derivatives platform from IG Group for $100 million, giving Kraken a stronger base for regulated U.S. derivatives trading.
Bitpanda has also been growing under Europe’s new regulatory structure. Related coverage said Bitpanda’s 2025 revenue rose 16% to €371 million, while users reached 7.4 million and its MiCA licensing went live.
The IG-Bitpanda deal now ties these two trends together. IG wants to expand crypto trading for European investors, while Bitpanda is positioning its infrastructure for brokers and financial firms that want regulated digital asset access.
