Is LHV crypto friendly?
Yes. Crypto trading is built into the Estonian app, and the UK arm banks Coinbase and Bitstamp, but coins cannot leave the bank.
CBL Score: 9 of 16
| Criterion | Score | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Accepts exchange transfers | yes (2) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
| Stablecoin off-ramp | no (0) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
| Business accounts for Web3 | yes (2) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
| Custody | partial (1) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
| Staking and yield | no (0) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
| Card | partial (1) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
| Multiple jurisdictions | partial (1) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
| Open to retail | yes (2) | source · checked 8 September 2026 |
Total 9 of 16. Yes scores 2, partial 1, no 0. A secondary source is press or a third party rather than the bank or its regulator. Unverified means no source could be found; the score stands until one is.
Score history
Scores are revised when a bank's documents change. Each revision is dated and sourced.
| 8 September 2026 | Stablecoin off-ramp | yes to no | source |
Standing
| Jurisdiction | Estonia · UK |
| Type | Business banking |
| Health tag | Solid Listed parent, unrestricted UK and Estonian banking licences, profitable. · checked 26 August 2026 |
| P2P tolerance | Relaxed The most crypto-open bank in its market, with in-app trading via Bitstamp and Coinbase, and over 200 fintech clients, crypto firms among them. Thin retail P2P data, but the structural posture is tolerant. · community-reported, separate from the score |
| Last verified | 8 September 2026 |
If they close your account
Closure policy: Partial
| Notice | General Conditions clause 14.4: either party may terminate by giving at least two months' notice. Clause 14.5: basic payment accounts for consumers also get two months' notice for lack of justified interest, 24 months without transactions or six months without sufficient funds. Clause 14.1 allows extraordinary termination without notice for a compelling reason, such as breach of the agreement, suspected money laundering, unproven origin of funds, sanctions, fraud or a supervisory authority's demand. |
| Reasons given | By category only (terms breach, security risk, missing documents) |
| Access to funds | Payment Services conditions clause 17.3: the Bank closes the account definitively one month after the agreement ends, credits interest, deducts fees and pays the balance to the customer or to an account the customer names. Clause 17.4: if no instruction is given, the Bank keeps the funds and pays on first demand or deposits them with a notary. General Conditions clause 14.6: on Bank-initiated termination LHV may refuse to transfer assets to any account other than one in the customer's name at an EEA credit institution. |
| Appeal | Clause 15: disagreements are first handled by written complaint to the Bank. Consumers can then go to the Consumer Disputes Committee of the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (info@ttja.ee) or to the district court. The Bank is supervised by the Estonian Financial Supervision Authority (info@fi.ee). |
| Names crypto as a ground for closure | no |
Sources: General Conditions of AS LHV Pank, effective 9 October 2025, clauses 14 and 15 · official, checked 23 September 2026
LHV Conditions of Payment Services Agreement, clauses 16 and 17 · official, checked 23 September 2026
A closure usually starts as a freeze. The Frozen Account Survival Kit covers the first 48 hours. Every bank side by side: which banks tell you why they closed your account.
What LHV allows and blocks
Allowed
- Buying, selling and holding 15 crypto assets inside the LHV mobile and internet bank, 24 hours a day
- Euro transfers in to fund a purchase and euro withdrawals after a sale, as ordinary bank payments
- Crypto purchases by both private individuals and companies (companies need an LEI code)
- Pre-filled tax forms for Estonian private customers who trade crypto through LHV
- Business banking for crypto and virtual asset service providers, fintechs and other financial intermediaries through LHV Bank Ltd in the UK
- GBP Faster Payments and SEPA Instant euro rails for fintech and crypto clients, with virtual IBANs
- Estonian debit and credit cards, and a fee-free UK debit card with no foreign spending fees
Blocked or restricted
- Transferring crypto from LHV to an external wallet or exchange, and sending crypto into LHV. You must sell inside the bank to move value out
- Using crypto bought at LHV to pay for goods or services on other platforms
- Stablecoins. LHV offers only 'other crypto assets' under MiCA, not e-money tokens or asset-referenced tokens
- Staking. LHV says it plans to add staking after its 2026 MiCA licence, but it is not live
- US persons and residents of sanctioned regions are excluded from the crypto service
- Payments in Estonia may be restricted when linked to industries LHV treats as high financial crime risk, including currency exchange and payment intermediation
Opening an account
- Estonian residents open online with an Estonian ID card, passport or residence permit. Non-residents must show a connection to Estonia, such as a lease, employment contract, study enrolment or a business link, and visit an LHV office for face-to-face identification
- E-residency on its own is not enough to open an account. Remote applications are reviewed within about 7 business days before LHV says what happens next
- Non-resident private clients pay 100 euros (EU residents) or 200 euros (others) to open, then 10 or 20 euros a month. Resident private accounts are free
- The crypto service requires a knowledge questionnaire, and LHV can refuse it to clients it judges insufficiently informed. Companies need a valid LEI code
- LHV Bank in the UK is app-only. Its pages address UK adults but do not publish a residency rule, an ID list or an opening time
Fees that matter
- Crypto: 0.5% on each buy and sell, no fee for holding. Minimum purchase 20 euros, minimum sale 10 euros, maximum order 100,000 euros
- Estonian account: free for residents. Debit card 1 euro a month for holders aged 26 to 65, virtual cards free, 1% currency conversion on card spending
- Euro SEPA and SEPA Instant payments are free from internet banking. Foreign payments from 7 euros shared or 29 euros remitter pays
- UK: fee-free current account, first physical debit card free, no foreign card payment fees, replacement card 5 pounds
Regulatory history
| 2023 | LHV Bank Ltd authorised as a UK credit institution by the PRA in May, the first licence granted without restrictions that year; the Estonian branch's UK business transferred to it in August source |
| 2023 | Finantsinspektsioon fined AS LHV Pank 900,000 euros and issued a precept over anti-money laundering shortcomings in correspondent banking services source |
| 2026 | Finantsinspektsioon granted AS LHV Pank a MiCA crypto-asset service provider licence covering custody and order transmission, the first for a bank in Estonia source |
See a mistake? Email hi@cryptobanklist.com. Every factual correction is logged on our corrections page.
Questions about LHV
Does LHV let me send money to Coinbase or Kraken?
LHV does not publish a retail rule on paying crypto exchanges. Its UK arm is Coinbase's main bank in Europe and has served Bitstamp since 2019, which points to a tolerant stance. The Estonian payments page does say LHV may restrict payments tied to industries it sees as high financial crime risk, so a block is possible on a case-by-case basis.
Can I withdraw crypto from LHV to my own wallet?
No. LHV's terms say it does not provide crypto transfer services. Coins bought at LHV stay in omnibus accounts held with Bitstamp Europe and Coinbase Luxembourg, and the only way out is to sell for euros inside the bank.
What does LHV charge to buy Bitcoin?
The fee is 0.5% on each purchase and sale, with no charge for holding. The minimum buy is 20 euros, the minimum sale is 10 euros, and a single order is capped at 100,000 euros.
Can a foreigner open an LHV account?
Yes, if you can show a connection to Estonia such as a lease, job or business, and you visit an LHV office in person. E-residency alone does not qualify. Non-resident private accounts cost 100 or 200 euros to open plus 10 or 20 euros a month depending on whether you live in the EU.
Closest alternatives
Yes for individuals, with the deepest crypto stack of any app-bank. No for crypto businesses.15/16Swissquote
Yes, with fenced on-chain flows: crypto comes in only from six named exchanges or your own wallet, and never goes out to an exchange.