Spain's Bankinter Joins €30M Bit2Me Funding Round, Signaling Banking's Crypto Shift

Bankinter has acquired a minority stake in Bit2Me, joining a €30 million funding round that stablecoin issuer Tether led in August 2025.

The Spanish bank's investment strengthens a growing alliance between traditional finance and regulated cryptocurrency platforms in Europe.

Bankinter now joins fellow Spanish banks BBVA, Unicaja, and Cecabank as shareholders in the Madrid-based exchange.

The partnership aims to explore technological synergies around distributed ledger technology solutions, according to Bit2Me.

What Happened

Bankinter finalized its investment this week, becoming the fourth Spanish banking institution to hold equity in Bit2Me.

The funding round, which Tether led last summer, also included participation from Telefónica, Investcorp, and Inveready.

Bit2Me secured authorization from Spain's securities regulator CNMV on July 29, 2025, becoming the first Spanish-speaking fintech approved as a Crypto-Asset Service Provider under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation.

MiCA, which took full effect in December 2024, establishes harmonized rules for cryptocurrency services across all 27 EU member states.

Why It Matters

The investment reflects traditional banking's calculated approach to cryptocurrency infrastructure under clear regulatory frameworks.