Israel Discount Bank bitcoin trading begins Nov. 26

Israel Discount Bank bitcoin trading will begin on Nov. 26, letting eligible Israeli residents buy, hold and sell bitcoin and ether inside the bank’s mobile app, according to a Nov. 11 statement.

The Tel Aviv-listed lender called the service a first for Israel’s banking system. Private customers aged 18 or older with securities-trading accounts can trade the assets alongside stocks and bonds without an outside exchange or separate digital wallet. Coins will be stored in bank-provided wallets built on Fireblocks infrastructure.

Israel Discount Bank bitcoin app fees

The app charges a 2% commission on purchases and sales, excluding foreign-exchange conversion. Custody fees are waived for six months, then set at 0.25% per quarter. Trading runs Sunday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Israel time, with immediate orders only and a minimum purchase of 0.01 coin.

The system is closed at launch: bitcoin and ether bought through Discount cannot be sent to outside wallets, and coins held elsewhere cannot be transferred in. The bank says capital gains and losses can be offset against customers’ broader investment portfolios for tax withheld at source, at a 25% rate on profits. Bank Leumi plans a similar app launch in early 2027.