The popular fintech, N26, is launching a new trading feature in its app, N26 Crypto.
Users will be able to easily trade cryptocurrency using money they have in their N26 account. Behind the scenes of the feature, N26 is partnering with Bitpanda to process transactions and store the crypto.
Rollout
N26 is going to slowly roll out N26 Crypto across Europe. Initially, only some users in Austria will have access to the new feature while other countries will get the feature sometime in the next six months.
The company will allow you to buy, sell and hold 100 different cryptocurrencies. The startup still plans to add another 94 crypto assets later next year.
How To Use The New Feature
N26 Crypto will be accessible from the second tab of the app, and which has now been renamed as “Finances“.
From this screen, you’ll find your Spaces, your virtual i.e. accounts that you can use to set aside some money as an automatic way of saving. Spaces can also be used as shared accounts with another N26 user.
Underneath your Spaces list, there is a new “Trading” section with your crypto portfolio. N26 displays all the crypto you have available, the value of your positions and how they have changed in the last 24 hours, week, month or year.
Whenever you want to buy or sell some cryptocurrencies, you can click the buy or sell button, select a crypto (or search for it) and enter an amount. N26 displays both the exchange rate and the amount you will pay in fees.
Fees
N26 plans to charge 1.5% for bitcoin transactions and 2.5% for all other cryptocurrencies, a fee that is the same as what users pay on the Bitpanda app. Users paying 16.90 euros per month for N26 Metal will pay 1% and 2% in transaction fees for bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies respectively.
The main advantage with N26 Crypto is that it is directly linked to your existing bank account. So you don’t need to load money into a different trading account, go to the Bitpanda app (or another app) and then start trading.
Similarly, when you cash out with N26 Crypto, you will receive Euros in your main N26 account without having to transfer money back to your bank account.
Not the first European Startup To Deal With Crypto
N26 is not the first fintech startup to create this interface between its app and Bitpanda.
French payment app Lydia also partnered with Bitpanda to introduce the ability to trade stocks, precious metals, cryptocurrencies and ETFs in its app last year.
Still, Revolut, one of N26’s competitors in the fintech sector, has been providing similar functionality for some time, although N26’s solution is considered more “comprehensive”.
Last week, N26 shared its financial results for 2021. While its gross revenue increased by 50% to more than €180 million, its operating expenses also increased rapidly, resulting in a loss of €170 million.
Of course, N26 has also raised hundreds of millions of euros through financing. Thanks to these investments, the company has time to figure out how to get more revenue from its users while keeping its operating costs under control.
