Belgium’s KBC Bank to Enable Bitcoin Purchases for Customers in February 2026
KBC Group will let Belgian retail investors trade Bitcoin and Ethereum via Bolero under MiCA rules, using a closed model with strict KYC/KYT checks and no advisory services.
BTC
ETH
Fact Check
The assessment is based on three highly authoritative and directly relevant primary sources. These sources are official press releases from KBC Bank itself, published in English, Dutch, and French. All three documents consistently and explicitly state that KBC will enable customers to trade Bitcoin starting in mid-February 2026. The authority of these sources is maximal, as they represent a direct announcement from the company in question. The remaining sources provided are entirely irrelevant to the statement and offer no contradictory information. The confidence in this assessment is high due to the quality, authority, and consistency of the supporting evidence. The truth probability is set just below 1.0 only because the statement refers to a future event, and unforeseen circumstances could theoretically alter the company's plans between the announcement and the launch date.
Summary
KBC Group, Belgium’s second-largest bank, will begin allowing retail clients to trade Bitcoin and Ethereum on its Bolero platform from the week of February 16, 2026. This marks the country's first bank to offer such crypto trading services. Operating under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation, KBC will employ a closed trading model with strict Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Transaction (KYT) procedures. The platform will run on an execution-only basis, without investment advice, and prohibit asset transfers outside the bank’s custody.
Terms & Concepts
- Bitcoin: A decentralized digital currency that operates without a central authority, using blockchain technology for transactions.
- Ethereum: A decentralized blockchain platform that enables smart contracts and decentralized applications, with its native cryptocurrency called Ether (ETH).
- MiCA: The EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation, establishing a harmonized framework for crypto-asset issuance and service provision across member states.