Bunq First European Neobank to Launch Flexible Stacking

Dutch neobank bunq is rolling out flexible cryptocurrency staking across the European Union through a partnership with Kraken. The offering covers 20 digital assets with yields up to 10% annually, without mandatory lock-up periods. A first for a European challenger bank.

A staking service without lock-up periods

Bunq, Europe’s second-largest neobank with 20 million users according to its official September 2025 press release, has just launched its flexible staking service throughout the European Union. The announcement, published on September 25, 2025, marks a significant milestone in the Amsterdam-based Dutch bank’s crypto expansion.

The service allows users to stake their cryptocurrencies to validate blockchain transactions while retaining the ability to buy, sell, or withdraw their holdings at any time. This flexibility distinguishes bunq from traditional platforms that typically impose fixed lock-up periods in exchange for staking rewards.

The integration relies on a partnership with Kraken, one of the world’s oldest cryptocurrency exchange platforms. Trading and custody services are provided by Payward Europe Solutions Limited (Kraken), authorized by the Central Bank of Ireland, while staking operations are managed by Payward Commercial Ltd, which holds a MiCA (Markets in Crypto-Assets) license.

20 eligible cryptocurrencies, yields up to 10% annually

According to bunq’s official documentation, the service currently supports 20 cryptocurrencies using the Proof-of-Stake (PoS) consensus mechanism. Here is the complete list of eligible assets:

• Major tokens: Ethereum (ETH), Cardano (ADA), Solana (SOL), Polkadot (DOT), Tron (TRX)
• Alternative layer 1 tokens: Cosmos (ATOM), Tezos (XTZ), Celestia (TIA), Sui (SUI), Flow (FLOW)
• Specialized projects: Bittensor (TAO), The Graph (GRT), Injective (INJ), Polygon Ecosystem Token (POL), Sei (SEI)
• Other assets: Dymension (DYM), Kava (KAVA), Kusama (KSM), Mina (MINA), Secret Network (SCRT)

Annual yields displayed in the bunq app vary depending on assets and market conditions. Finance Magnates reports yields reaching up to 10% annually on certain cryptocurrencies, while the official bunq website mentions rates up to 8.25% after commission.

Payments are made weekly, directly into the user’s crypto wallet within the bunq app.

Fee structure: 25% commission on rewards

Bunq adopts a zero-upfront-fee model: users pay nothing to activate staking. However, the bank takes 25% of generated rewards as commission.

Critical point: the annual percentage rates (APR) displayed in the app do not account for this 25% commission. According to bunq’s official help documentation, the final payment received by the user will therefore be lower than the displayed APR and may vary depending on the asset and market conditions.

For comparison, native staking platforms like Lido (for Ethereum) or direct staking pools typically charge between 10% and 15% commission. bunq’s commission is therefore above market average but includes the convenience of a familiar banking interface.

Crypto trading fees at bunq vary by subscription plan:

• bunq Free: 1.99% per transaction
• bunq Core: 0.99%
• bunq Pro: 0.49%
• bunq Elite: 0.25%

Technical operation: only 50% of assets actually staked

Unlike traditional staking platforms that lock up 100% of deposited funds, bunq uses a partial staking model to maintain liquidity. According to official documentation, when staking is activated, only a portion of eligible cryptocurrencies is actually staked, allowing users to retain the flexibility to trade or withdraw their funds at any time.

The help document specifies: “We offer flexible staking in the bunq app with no lock-up period, so only a portion of your crypto is staked. When staking is enabled, you’ll earn up to 50% on all your eligible cryptocurrencies.“

This wording indicates that displayed yields (up to 10%) potentially apply to the entire portfolio, but only half of the assets actually generate staking rewards. This hybrid approach explains how bunq can simultaneously offer flexibility and yields.

Simple activation in three steps

Staking activation is done directly from the bunq mobile app:

1. Open the Crypto tab in the bunq app
2. Select a cryptocurrency eligible for staking
3. Activate the Staking widget under the asset position

Once staking is activated, all eligible cryptocurrencies are automatically included. It is currently not possible to selectively stake certain assets while excluding others.

Users receive a weekly notification when staking rewards are credited. A dedicated dashboard allows viewing cumulative gains by asset.

Deactivating staking is equally simple via the Crypto tab settings. However, bunq specifies that “in some cases, it may take a little longer to sell your crypto after disabling staking,” with the delay depending on the operation of the relevant blockchain.

Explicit risks: slashing, no deposit guarantee, volatility

bunq adopts a transparent approach regarding risks associated with crypto staking. Official documentation lists five categories of risks:

Slashing risk

When a user stakes their cryptocurrencies, they are assigned to a validator that secures the blockchain network. If this validator suffers a penalty (malicious behavior, prolonged downtime), the user may lose part of their staked assets through no direct fault of their own. However, bunq specifies that if slashing occurs due to a Kraken error, it will be covered by Kraken.

No deposit protection

Unlike traditional bank deposits protected by the Dutch deposit guarantee system up to €100,000, staked cryptocurrencies do not benefit from any regulatory protection. In case of Kraken’s bankruptcy, users could lose their assets.

Yield volatility

Displayed staking rates are estimates. Rewards may decrease or even temporarily cease, depending on blockchain network performance and validation demand.

Market volatility

The value of staked cryptocurrencies fluctuates according to market prices, independent of staking. An asset can generate 10% annual yield while losing 30% of its value in euros.

Non-regulation of staking

bunq emphasizes that “staking operations are managed by Payward Commercial, which is not regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.” Gains are therefore not guaranteed and the activity remains in a regulatory gray area within the EU.

Strategic context: accelerating crypto expansion

The flexible staking launch is part of bunq’s aggressive expansion strategy in the cryptocurrency market. The bank initially launched bunq Crypto in April 2025 in six European countries (Netherlands, France, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Ireland, Germany), offering access to over 350 cryptocurrencies through its partnership with Kraken.

According to a survey conducted by bunq among its users, 65% of crypto investors identify market timing uncertainty as their main obstacle to profitability. Flexible staking partially addresses this issue by allowing passive income generation without having to anticipate short-term price movements.

Bunq positions itself as “Europe’s second-largest neobank,” with 20 million users reached in September 2025 during its 10th anniversary. However, this figure remains far behind competitor Revolut, which claims 60 million users according to Finance Magnates.

Beyond Europe, bunq is pursuing international expansion with a broker-dealer license application in the United States filed in April 2025, as part of an accelerated entry into the American market before a full banking license application.

A first for European neobanks, but not for the market

While bunq effectively becomes the first European challenger neobank to offer flexible staking integrated into a banking app, the service itself is not new to the crypto market.

Platforms like Kraken, Coinbase, Binance, or Lido have offered staking for years, often with more advantageous commission rates. bunq’s added value lies in banking integration: users can manage current accounts, investments, and cryptocurrencies in a single interface, without juggling multiple platforms.

This “all-in-one” approach particularly targets digital nomads and users seeking unified financial management. bunq even describes itself as aspiring to become “the world’s first neobank for digital nomads.“

Covered markets and availability

The staking service is currently available throughout the European Economic Area (EEA), covering the 27 EU member countries plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.

bunq does not specify whether specific restrictions apply by national jurisdiction. Some European countries, such as France, have complex tax regulations regarding crypto staking income, requiring separate reporting from capital gains.

The service works via the bunq mobile app (iOS and Android) as well as the web version. It is not available for users located outside the EEA, including post-Brexit United Kingdom.

What it changes for the end user

bunq’s staking integration illustrates the progressive convergence between traditional banks and crypto services. For the retail user, the implications are multiple:

Advantages:

• Simplified access to staking without technical skills
• Familiar banking app interface
• No need to manage private keys or external wallets
• Passive income on dormant assets

Long-term, if other European neobanks (Revolut, N26, Monzo) follow bunq’s example, staking could become a standard banking service, normalizing cryptocurrency exposure for millions of non-specialized users.