Reports said that Leumi Bank, one of the largest lenders in Israel, has reportedly started to accept Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) trading.
It has been reported that Pepper Invest, Leumi's digital platform, has partnered with blockchain infrastructure provider Paxos to launch crypto trading. Pepper Invest clients can now buy, sell and hold cryptocurrencies using the new service. The move will only support BTC and ETH before adding support for other crypto assets.
However, the minimum transaction value for cryptocurrencies was set at around $15.50 (50 shekels). There is currently no start date announced, and the new move is pending regulatory approval.
The report stated:
"Pepper will collect tax[es], according to the guidelines of the Israeli Tax Authority, so that customers will not need to manage tax complexities."
Likewise, banks in many countries were previously hesitant to accept BTC and other cryptocurrencies, but that situation changed as the demand from corporations and individual customers increased. Regulators have also shifted their attention away from outright bans and toward the development of a regulatory framework.
Leumi Bank had previously prohibited crypto exchange Bits Of Gold's account, citing regulatory concerns. A Supreme Court ruling back then, declared that Leumi Bank could not block the crypto exchange's account. The development is significant as it represents a paradigm shift in the global financial sector's attitude towards digital assets. DBS of Singapore is already supplying crypto trading services to businesses and will extend these offerings to retail clients by the end of the year.
Thus, KB Bank in South Korea is readying its provision of crypto investment solutions for individual clients, and several other institutions are considering similar possibilities.
Source: Cointelegraph
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