FNB adds crypto trading to investment platform

First National Bank added crypto trading to four of its South African investment products, integrating the service into its existing investing platform. Customers can buy Bitcoin, Ether, XRP, Solana and USDT, with trades starting at R10 and available around the clock.

The service is powered by South African crypto exchange VALR and is available through Share Saver, Share Builder, Share Investor and Share Zero. Holdings stay inside the platform: customers cannot transfer crypto into the service, withdraw it to a personal wallet or use the assets directly on public blockchain networks.

That structure gives FNB customers price exposure without turning the bank's investment product into a general-purpose crypto wallet. The boundary matters because custody, transfers and onchain activity carry different operational and regulatory requirements from simply buying and selling an asset inside a managed platform.