Austrian Bitcoin platform 21bitcoin launches euro balance interest, with the option to pay in BTC

Austrian Bitcoin platform 21bitcoin announced that starting today, it will pay an annual interest rate of 1.21% on customers' uninvested euro balances, allowing customers to choose to receive it in BTC form without any exchange fees. The company claims to be the first service provider in Europe to directly pay savings interest in Bitcoin.

The interest covers all euros in the account, including funds waiting for the next savings plan purchase or funds reserved for unexecuted limit orders, with no minimum deposit requirement and no lock-in period. The interest is paid by Germany's Volksbank Raiffeisenbank Bayern Mitte eG, which has held shares in 21bitcoin since 2023. Customers' euros are stored in a demand savings form in the bank's segregated trust account, and 21bitcoin states that it will pass on the full interest to customers without retaining any interest margin.

This interest rate is a floating rate, and the interest is subject to German withholding tax. This launch follows the earlier introduction of a zero-fee Bitcoin savings plan earlier this year. 21bitcoin was established in 2021, holds an Austrian MiCAR license, and is authorized by Germany's BaFin, reporting over 100,000 users and a trading volume exceeding 650 million euros.