IG has announced plans to expand crypto trading across Europe through Bitpanda's infrastructure, as reported by CoinDesk. The London-listed trading group will leverage Bitpanda's liquidity, trading connectivity, and market data to offer digital asset access to investors across Europe. The setup will provide IG's European division with the core services needed to provide crypto trading, though the company has not disclosed a specific timeline for the wider European rollout. As CoinDesk reports, this partnership positions IG to leverage Bitpanda's infrastructure covering liquidity, trading connectivity, and market data to give European retail investors access to digital assets.
According to CoinDesk reports, IG reported £331.2 million in Q1 2026 revenue, with spot crypto contributing £2.4 million. This represents approximately $445 million and $3.2 million respectively, showing that crypto remains a small but active part of the group's trading business. The company's existing user base of 1.3 million clients globally provides a substantial audience for crypto trading expansion as more traditional platforms add digital asset access. As CoinDesk confirms, IG introduced spot crypto trading for UK retail customers last year, with the segment contributing £2.4 million ($3.2M) of the company's £331.2 million ($445M) Q1 2026 revenue - a small but growing slice of the business.
As reported by CoinDesk, Bitpanda will support IG's European crypto expansion through its exchange infrastructure based in Vienna. The company holds licenses under the European Union's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation in Germany and Malta, allowing it to offer crypto services across the bloc under MiCA's passporting framework. This regulatory positioning enables Bitpanda to provide the necessary infrastructure for IG's European expansion plans, with CoinDesk noting that crypto firms need a MiCA license to operate in the European Union. As CoinDesk reports, the key driver of the deal is Bitpanda's MiCA license, which provides the regulatory foundation for European crypto operations.
According to CoinDesk reports, IG's move follows its launch of crypto trading for U.K. retail customers last year, providing a base for expanding similar services into the European market. The company introduced financial spread betting to the U.K. in the early 1970s and currently gives clients access to equities, foreign exchange, commodities, and derivatives markets. IG has also been expanding its crypto footprint through other deals, including agreeing to acquire 70% of Australian crypto exchange Independent Reserve for A$109.6 million and selling Small Exchange to Kraken for $100 million. As CoinDesk reports, IG is one of Europe's most established retail trading platforms with 1.3 million clients globally, making this expansion strategically significant for the company's digital asset ambitions.
As reported by CoinDesk, Bitpanda has been growing under Europe's new regulatory structure, with its 2025 revenue rising 16% to €371 million while users reached 7.4 million and MiCA licensing went live. The IG-Bitpanda deal now ties together these two trends, with IG wanting to expand crypto trading for European investors while Bitpanda positions its infrastructure for brokers and financial firms seeking regulated digital asset access across Europe. Bitpanda, founded in 2014, is considering going public this year as part of its growth strategy. The structural intent is clear for the European rollout, though no timeline has been given for the wider European expansion.
