Sopra Financial Technology launches Bitcoin-backed lending business with VR Bank Bayern Mitte and 21bitcoin
News, 20/10/2025
From left to right: Nico Hirsch (VR Bank Bayern Mitte), Dominik Seibold (21bitcoin), Thomas Münch (Sopra Financial Technology), Daniel Winklhammer (21bitcoin), Andreas Streb (VR Bank Bayern Mitte)
Sopra Financial Technology GmbH, VR Bank Bayern Mitte, and 21bitcoin are launching a pilot project for the first regulated Bitcoin-backed lending in Germany. The new white label solution is based on the Sopra Crypto Solutions platform. It enables financial institutions to enter the business of loans secured by digital assets in compliance with the law.
Nuremberg/Ingolstadt/Salzburg, October 15, 2025 – With Bitcoin-backed lending, the partners are responding to growing demand from customers with significant crypto assets for liquid funds without having to sell their digital assets. The joint solution works on the principle of a Lombard loan: Bitcoin is deposited as collateral and the loan amount is paid out in euros.
“Bitcoin-backed lending is the logical next step for forward-looking banks. Through close conceptual collaboration with our partners, we are creating a legally verified and technologically mature product that also enables other financial institutions to enter the market quickly and securely. We are significantly reducing the barrier to entry.”
Thomas Münch
Product Owner at Sopra Financial Technology GmbH.
Regulated innovation at the heart of the offering
The basis for this is Sopra Crypto Solutions, a modular platform on which the pilot project is being implemented. Sopra Financial Technology developed the platform specifically for regulated crypto services. The platform covers the entire spectrum of custody, trading, compliance, reporting, and lending. It offers banks and financial service providers a secure and scalable infrastructure that complies with all provisions of the European MiCA Regulation (Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation), national licensing requirements, and KYC/AML regulations. This is a clear advantage for financial institutions that want to enter the digital asset business without having to build a complex, fully compliant infrastructure themselves.
As one of the first German banks with its own Bitcoin strategy, VR Bank Bayern Mitte eG contributes its expertise in the practical implementation of crypto services in a banking context. The cooperation with FIOR Digital GmbH (21bitcoin) complements the ecosystem with an established, user-friendly interface for managing Bitcoin assets and acts as an important partner for crypto custody and settlement.
Comments from partners
Andreas Streb, CEO of VR Bank Bayern Mitte, comments: "Our experience shows that there is high customer demand for regulated financial services related to Bitcoin. With the proposed solution, our customers can use their Bitcoin holdings without having to forego potential increases in value or accept tax disadvantages through a sale. This strengthens our position as a digital pioneer in regional banking."
“Together with our partners, we are working to launch Europe's first institutional and competitive Bitcoin loan product. We are convinced that with our combined expertise, we will play a pioneering role in the field of innovative Bitcoin financial services,” explains Daniel Winklhammer, CEO of FIOR Digital GmbH (21bitcoin).
Competitive advantage through customer focus
The white-label solution includes complete digital process orchestration between the lender and crypto custodian, continuous monitoring of the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, and automated hedging mechanisms (liquidation) when critical thresholds are not met. Financial institutions thus receive a turnkey product to expand their lending business in an innovative and compliant manner.
About Sopra Financial Technology
Sopra Financial Technology GmbH offers regulatory-compliant operation of modular, scalable, and customizable applications in the financial services industry. The company combines traditional legacy systems with innovative products and services, incorporating modern cloud solutions in a high-performance operation and secure environment. With around 300 employees and headquarters in Nuremberg, the company is distinguished by its expertise in banking, regulatory affairs, solution orientation, and project management. Founded in 1983 as Sparda-Datenverarbeitung eG, Sopra Financial Technology GmbH has been part of the Sopra Steria Group since 2019, which has more than 50,000 employees in around 30 countries.
About VR Bank Bayern Mitte eG
VR Bank Bayern Mitte eG, based in Ingolstadt, is one of the largest cooperative banks in Bavaria and is considered a pioneer in the German banking sector in the implementation of services related to digital assets, especially Bitcoin.
About FIOR Digital GmbH (21bitcoin)
FIOR Digital GmbH, based in Salzburg, Austria, operates “21bitcoin,” Europe's leading platform for buying and storing Bitcoin. The company's goal is to make buying Bitcoin easy, secure, and accessible to everyone.
The platform is currently used by around 100,000 customers in Europe, and the company plans to process a trading volume of approximately EUR 500 million in the 2025 fiscal year. The platform is currently used by around 100,000 customers in Europe, and the company plans to process a trading volume of approximately EUR 500 million in the 2025 fiscal year.
Contact
Sopra Financial Technology GmbH
Birgit Hass
Frankenstraße 146, 90461 Nuremberg, Germany
Phone: +49 911 9291-0
Email: communications.sft@soprasteria.com