Global Adoption

Discovery Bank Teams with Luno to Bring Crypto Trading to South Africa

Discovery Bank is set to become the first bank in South Africa to allow customers to trade cryptocurrencies directly through its mobile app starting in December 2025. The service is being launched in partnership with London-based crypto exchange Luno. According to the bank, users will be able to link their accounts and buy, hold, or sell digital assets like Bitcoin and Ethereum straight from the Discovery Bank app.

“The financial world is evolving fast, and crypto assets have matured to become an accessible, mainstream asset class,” Discovery Bank CEO Hylton Kallner said in a statement. He added that one in ten South Africans already own crypto, and that the rules in the country follow global standards. The new feature will let customers trade over 50 different types of cryptocurrencies.
They will be able to track their balances and transactions in real time, move money instantly without paying fees, and earn Vitality Money Savings points for the crypto they hold in safe Luno wallets. James Lanigan, CEO of Luno, said the partnership is the first of its kind in Africa. He explained that it gives clients safeguards to trade confidently alongside over 15 million Luno users across Africa, Asia, and Europe. “This partnership is a clear signal that crypto has moved from a niche to a mainstream investment choice,” Lanigan said.

Discovery Bank, launched in 2021, recorded its first profit in the second half of its financial year ending June 30, 2023. It is competing with other banks, including Absa, First National Bank, Standard Bank, Capitec, and Old Mutual. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority started giving licenses to crypto service providers in 2023 to protect consumers and follow international rules. Discovery Bank said its crypto service meets these rules and has strong safety measures.

In March, the bank introduced TRUST Alert, a security system that monitors transactions for potential fraud. Each payment or transfer is analyzed in real time based on patterns, behavior, and other safety data, with warnings displayed to clients when necessary.

Terron Gold

Recent Posts

Cypherpunk Launches World’s Largest Zcash Mining Fleet in $33 Million Winklevoss Deal

Cypherpunk Technologies is expanding its massive bet on Zcash by launching what it calls the…

5 days ago

MapleStory Universe Launches AI Game Jam With $15,000 in NXPC Prizes

MapleStory Universe is putting artificial intelligence in the hands of game creators with the launch…

6 days ago

Kalshi Pushes Beyond Prediction Markets With Copper Perpetual Future Filing With CFTC

Kalshi is making another major move beyond prediction markets, filing with the Commodity Futures Trading…

6 days ago

Coinbase Brings 50x Crypto Perpetual Trading to Base App Through Hyperliquid

Coinbase is bringing high-leverage decentralized derivatives directly into its Base App through an integration with…

6 days ago

Hong Kong Puts First Regulated Stablecoin to Work in Insurance and $49 Billion UAE Trade Market

Hong Kong's first regulated Hong Kong dollar stablecoin is moving beyond testing and into real-world…

6 days ago

Fake Trezor, Ledger and Exodus Apps Target Crypto Users in Massive Seed Phrase Scam

Cybersecurity researchers at Rapid7 have uncovered a sophisticated crypto fraud operation that used nearly 885,000…

7 days ago