According to a study, 35% of European investors could change banks to access cryptos

MiCA is moving forward in Europe like a cold-faced inspector: it reassures some, it upsets many other actors. Voices from digital finance swear that this crypto regulation pushes talent and capital towards other, more flexible shores. However, beneath this layer of discontent, European investors are not deserting. They look, compare, then even start to put pressure on their banks to obtain simple, clean crypto access, without empty promises or unnecessary folklore.

Banks discover that crypto moves their customers

The decor changes, slowly but surely. In Europe, crypto is no longer a marginal product, it is involved in banking decisions. According to thestudy by Börse Stuttgart Digital35% of European investors could change banks to access better crypto offers. This figure does not fall from the sky, it reflects new pressure on traditional establishments.

Almost one in five investors expect their main bank to provide access to digital assets in the next three years.

European investors are placing increasing importance on trust and access to emerging asset classes when choosing their banking partners. Our research shows that crypto is increasingly shaping how banks attract and retain customers.

Matthias Voelkel, CEO of Börse Stuttgart Group

In Spain, this provision rises to 40%, compared to 35% in Italy, 33% in France and 29% in Germany. Above all, banks inspire more than twice as much confidence as specialized platforms to purchase digital assets within their walls.

MiCA reassures, but Europe is still moving forward with a crutch

The European paradox is obvious. The crypto appetite is growing, but distrust remains as heavy as an armored door. According to the study, 76% of investors still consider crypto assets insufficiently regulated, more than 60% say they are poorly informed, and 69% find them too complex. MiCA therefore arrives as a regulatory crutch rather than a magic wand.

Trust and clear regulation are essential for the next phase of crypto adoption in Europe. With MiCAR providing transparency and legal certainty, investors gain the clarity they expect.

Matthias Voelkel, CEO of Börse Stuttgart Group

Nearly half of investors say this European framework makes digital assets safer and more attractive. However, education remains the old key to the market: 54% of Spaniards would invest more with more knowledge, compared to 49% of the French and 44% of both Germans and Italians.

Clearly, Europe is taming crypto through the law before commercializing it commercially.

Spain in the lead, France cautious: the wave does not hit all shores

Crypto Europe is not moving forward en bloc. It advances by pockets, by cultures, by different banking reflexes. Spain leads with almost 28% of investors already exposed to crypto, ahead of Germany at 25%, Italy at 24% and France at 23%. Future interest follows the same slope, with more than 40% general appetite in Spain, compared to 36% in France, 35% in Germany and 34% in Italy.

However, France remains the country where confidence in the main bank is the strongest, at 46%, ahead of Spain, Germany and Italy. The study covered 6,000 respondents aged 18 to 70, via Marketagent, between August 2025 and January 2026. This detail matters: Europe does not fantasize about crypto in a vacuum, it now measures it properly.

It is not a uniform fashion, but a rise by steps.

Points to keep in mind

• 35% ready to change banks;
• 25% already exposed to crypto;
• 36% ready to reinvest;
• 76% consider the regulation insufficient;
• BTC price: $78,057.

For the major European institutions, the priority remains elsewhere: digital euro first, crypto then. However, an opening exists on the side of euro stablecoins, not dollar versions, with the Qivalis consortium and Fireblocks mobilized for a MiCA-compliant issue targeted for the second half of 2026. Europe is still tightening the reins, but it is leaving a door ajar.