Category: Money | Page 29

Should You Invest in Peer-to-Peer Lending in 2025?

Last updated: November 28, 20248 Comments

Peer-to-Peer investing is an excellent alternative investment. It can be compared to some other traditional investments to see whether it makes sense to invest in peer to peer platforms.

Contents

Peer-to-Peer platforms solve two problems:

Private lenders/investors need returns because savings rates are low
Borrowers need money to support and grow businesses or to fund deals

Whether you should invest or not in P2P lending is a multi-faceted question. I think we should start by comparing P2P lending with other investment alternatives.

P2P Lending VS Crypto Lending

By crypto lending, we usually mean a form of P2P lending that features crypto assets as collateral. The interest rates are typically lower than those available for traditional P2P lending, however, the fact that the loans are overcollateralized can bring a much higher degree of safety. On the other hand, many people still distrust anything crypto-related. I personally think that crypto lending platforms like YouHodler and Nexo provide a better deal than most traditional P2P lending platforms, but it can easily be argued that the risk-profile is higher.

P2P Lending VS Crowdfunding

Peer-to-peer lending is actually also known as crowdlending, which gives you a clear indication that there are lots of similarities with crowdfunding. The latter is a way to raise money for a project, without having to resort to venture capital.

The difference is that with crowdfunding the end goal is to fund a product, and usually receive the product in return, as in platforms like Kickstarter, while with P2P lending the investors are buying parts of loans with the aim of receiving back principal plus interest (the profit).

With crowdfunding of products, we can’t really talk about return percentages, although we can have a look at crowdfunding of real estate, in which case you will have a percentage return.

P2P Lending VS Real Estate Deals

There are many ways of investing in real estate, and then again many types of real estate deals. If we compare P2P lending to real estate crowdfunding via online platforms, we can see that P2P lending has the clear edge when it comes to returns.

With real estate crowdfunding, you can expect 3-7% returns while with P2P lending you can expect 10-15% consistent returns.

Of course, this comes at an extra risk. Real estate investing has a lower risk profile simply because in the case of borrower problems or default you can resort to having a claim on the underlying property, and thus it is easier to recover debt, at least partially.

P2P Lending VS Bank Savings

Bank savings rates are still abysmally low. If you have large amounts of sitting in bank savings accounts for a long time, you will lose money to inflation as the cost of living and goods increase. If you need your funds in the short term, holding the money in a savings account can make sense, but if you don’t need the money, then you would be better off taking the necessary investment risks to grow your money using compounding interest.

P2P Lending VS Company Bonds

Bonds are usually unsecured and when you invest in a company bond or mini-bond, you are investing money directly into the company which is risky. If the company goes out of business (which does happen), bond investors are usually treated as unsecured creditors and are at risk of losing their capital. To top it off, bond rates aren’t even that attractive with most bond offerings paying between 3.5-7%.

If you are going to take risks, it makes more sense to invest through reputable FCA regulated peer to peer lending companies offering secured loans that pay equal or more interest than private bonds pay.

P2P Lending VS Stocks

Equities had a pretty poor year in 2018, and when we compare stocks versus P2P lending we can see that the latter’s returns were 26% higher. They’re also risky in their own right. I would still suggest investing in stocks for the long-term, however, if you want to start earning money right away then P2P lending is the way to go.

Bank savings accounts, stocks, and bonds are the most popular investment options for much of the population, so for the purposes of this post, I won’t delve into other options such as cryptocurrencies, gold, startups, etc.

With those alternatives covered, let’s talk about something that very few people seem to consider when it comes to investment, especially P2P lending…

Downsides of P2P Lending

There are several potential downsides that we should keep in mind when considering investing in P2P platforms.

Risk

Let’s make this clear. P2P lending is an investment class that carries moderate risk, and you should always be aware of that. In the event of the world economy going south, I expect P2P loan originators and platforms to suffer considerably, with a potential loss of some of the capital I have invested.

Having said that, there are several ways of managing risk. Besides the fairly obvious risk management technique of diversifying into other types of investment apart from P2P lending, you can also use several P2P lending platforms, several loan originators and always invest little money in each loan, so you end up with thousands of microloans instead of a few loans in which you are highly invested.

Also make sure you invest in the right platforms, you can take a look at my favorite European P2P lending platforms to find some highly rated ones.

Time Investment Required

Investing on P2P platforms like Mintos and Twino can be as simple as using the platform’s auto invest strategy, putting in an amount of money, activating the strategy and sitting back to wait until the interest starts rolling in. This takes just a few minutes.

On the other hand, if you’re going to be investing in several platforms and digging deeper into how the platforms and different types of loans work, you will spend a considerable amount of time on your P2P lending investments.

Frankly, when I see the net worth reports and monthly income reports of many FIRE bloggers, I wonder what’s the point behind all they’re doing. The only explanation for spending so much time for so little return is that they are making much more money off the affiliate commissions they get when promoting some P2P platforms. It doesn’t make sense to spend say 20 hours a month on something when you’re earning €100 in interest. That’s not even taking into consideration the risk of your capital invested due to platform or loan originator bankruptcy.

Again, that’s why I would recommend just investing your money on something like the Mintos Invest & Access system as it’s very low maintenance and very liquid.

There is, however, one possibility where it is justified to spend a lot of time on P2P lending platforms even if you don’t have a huge chunk of money to invest. This is when you’re doing it as a learning exercise in order to get into the investing world and learn how everything works. I’ll talk about this in more detail in the Advantages section further down.

Advantages of P2P Lending

High Returns

I don’t know of any other investment class that is so easily accessible to the average person and provides such high returns. Cryptocurrency is the other investment class that comes to mind, but it’s way riskier and much more difficult for the average person to enter due to a high technical barrier of entry, developing legislation, and high complexity.

If you want to really grow your net worth aggressively, P2P lending is a great option.

Learning about Investing

While I spend a lot of time on real estate crowdfunding and P2P investing, the main reason why I’m doing all this is that a few years ago I set a target for myself to really learn the ins and outs of investing in different asset classes.

P2P platforms and crowdfunding websites are the perfect places to learn about investing.

Since you’ve got your money at stake, you’re much more likely to take things seriously and really learn the stuff than if you were just reading a book about investing.

It’s important that you learn not only how things work, but also how you react to things. At the end of the day, investing is also about handling your emotions.

What do you do when you’re riding a huge way of optimism, such as the Bitcoin bull run of 2017?

And how do you feel when everything you invested in seems to be burning to ashes?

Knowing how you react will help you become a better investor, as you will learn that perhaps certain asset classes stress you out too much and are best avoided, or maybe that you are not very risk-tolerant and would prefer to invest in a globally diversified index fund than pick investments yourself.

Whatever the lesson, the guarantee is that you will learn a lot, and in my opinion that knowledge and experience are far more valuable than the monetary returns.

Conclusion

Every single investment method has its pros and cons, including property (high cost of entry, increased stamp duty taxes, landlord headaches), stocks, shares and funds (if the market crashes, your capital and emotions could spiral downwards), and bonds (returns are low).

Peer-to-Peer lending is not without its issues. Some companies are complicated to understand and have a higher investment learning curve. If you invest through the wrong companies, don’t diversify correctly, only choose high risk/reward loans chasing returns or select the wrong loans, your returns could be in the red. But if diversify correctly by spreading your money across several companies and loans, P2P lending can be a very positive investment vehicle.

You can read about my favorite platforms here, but if you want to cut to the chase I can tell you right away that my absolute favorite is Mintos, and that’s where I put most of my money. I’ve been able to achieve 11,42% returns per year which I’m very happy with.

You will also notice that there are now a ton of bloggers that write about their portfolios and favorite platforms. I advise you to select 2-3 platforms that look interesting and read as much as you can about them, don’t just trust me or any blogger when choosing platforms. It’s your money and you should make an informed decision on how you invest it.

You should also always consider the taxation consequences of every investment you make. I’ve even covered taxation of P2P platforms in a separate post so you can check that out for starters, although you’ll obviously need to check the specific tax rates in your country of residence.

If you had to ask me for just one platform that you should check out and dig deeper into, as I said, Mintos is currently the biggest, most liquid and most transparent P2P lending platform in Europe. Next up I would say Twino and Bondora are the ones I’m liking the most.

🏠 Best European Real Estate Crowdfunding Platforms in 2025

Last updated: November 28, 202444 Comments

Real estate crowdfunding is one of the easiest ways to invest in property and one of my favorite forms of investment together with P2P lending.

Until recent years, the only options to enter the real estate market were to either buy property directly or to invest in a REIT.

Now, we have real estate crowdfunding sites, which are somewhat between those two forms of investment. If you want to learn more about the differences between these types of investments in the property market, check out my article on REITs vs Crowdfunding VS Private Investing.

Here’s a quick list of my favorite European real estate crowdfunding platforms:

Raizers – best for French real estate – my Raizers review
Fintown – real estate in Prague – see my Fintown review
LANDE – agricultural real estate – see my LANDE review

How Real Estate Crowdfunding Works

So let’s explore what real estate crowdfunding entails.

There are three basic ways of buying a stake in a real estate crowdfunded property: secured loans, unsecured loans, and equity investment.

Here is a short recap of what each of these means for the investor:

Secured loan (senior debt) – collateral is offered to secure the loan. The collateral can be real estate or some other asset, including a personal guarantee. With this type of loan the investor is the first in line to receive their payout, and in case of any problems the collateral can be sold to minimize losses. However, the existence of collateral means that the risk (and therefore the yield) is lower and one should definitely investigate the asset that is offered as collateral.
Unsecured loan (mezzanine loan) – while mortgage holders are usually first in line to receive payments, an unsecured loan means exactly that. It is not secured by collateral. This means that the interest rate offered should be higher than for a loan that is secured. If the project is unsuccessful, there are no assets to sell to recover any funds (i.e small loans). In this case, one should pay a lot of attention to whom they are loaning their funds in and how well the platform is equipped to handle problematic customers.
Equity investment – with this type of investment one should note the structure of liabilities – the company will pay debts to employees and creditors first and only then investors may receive their payments from the remaining assets of the company. In case of failure, there is a real possibility that the earnings of the investor are reduced to a 0. When the project succeeds, however, employees and creditors usually receive a fixed interest rate while the equity investor earns more. So, in this case, one should make sure that they assess the probability of failure. Is the project understandable? Are the numbers presented in the project realistic?

As a rule of thumb, it is good for an investor to remember – the lower the risk of the project, the lower the expected yield. And if you are considering investing in real estate that offers a 20%+ yield per annum, be sure to be very critical about the contents of the project before investing. Most likely it is not a secured project meaning a significantly higher risk level for the investor.

So, be sure not to look at just the yield but rather the investment. It is important to always know what you are investing in, who you are trusting your money with and to be realistic in terms of expectations.

My Experience with Real Estate Crowdfunding

Before we talk about my favorite real estate crowdfunding sites, let me remind you that I’ve been investing in real estate through online platforms since 2015, and I’ve used many platforms targeting various geographical regions.

On average, my returns have been around 5-7% per year.

The Spanish investments have been my biggest disappointment, largely due to either the incompetence of the platform team or the horrible government legislative changes.

Investments in the UK have also not provided me with much joy, but apart from the Lendy scam, the other platforms have been quite well managed and the big issue with property in the UK has been the Brexit event which was quite unexpected and threw everything off the rails.

On the other hand, the Baltics have provided some excellent returns, and this is what I consider to be the hottest real estate market in Europe at the moment. The German and Austrian markets have also provided me with stable returns – these are mature markets and the platforms in these countries tend to be run by serious and ethical people.

Investing in real estate online can be a daunting prospect to many new investors, as they might not be used to mixing an offline asset like property, with the technology and intangibility of the internet. And that is why I’d like to guide you towards what I feel are the best and most trustworthy platforms.

Keep in mind that within each platform there are different modalities of real estate investments. I’ve written briefly about these in my article about risk vs yield in real estate investment.

I would love to also invest in the US via top platforms like Fundrise and RealtyMogul, however, unfortunately, these platforms are not open to European residents. Nevertheless, here are the best European alternatives and top platforms.

1. Raizers

Raizers is the platform of choice if you want to invest in French real estate. It’s a platform that has been operating for 5 years with zero defaults. Go ahead and read my Raizers review if you’re looking for investing options in France specifically.

I’ve had the pleasure of discussing Raizers and the French real estate market with Raizers co-founder Maxime Pallain on my podcast, check out that episode if you want to learn more about Raizers. I found Maxime to be very open and knowledgeable and I have no problem trusting this platform based on their track record and solid team.

Invest with Raizers

2. Fintown

Fintown is an investment platform powered by the Vihorev Group, which boasts over a decade of experience in the Czech real estate market. The platform offers investors the opportunity to invest in real estate developments across Europe, with a particular emphasis on Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic. Fintown’s mission is to make real estate investing more accessible to individual investors, enabling them to diversify their portfolios and benefit from the potential high returns associated with property investments.

The account opening process with Fintown is user-friendly and efficient, requiring basic personal information and identification documents for verification. Once verified, investors can deposit euros—the sole currency accepted on the platform—with a minimum investment threshold of €50. The platform’s dashboard is designed to be clean and intuitive, facilitating easy navigation and management of investments. Key features include daily interest accrual, zero commissions on deposits and withdrawals, and no fees for participating in investments, enhancing the platform’s flexibility and appeal.

Fintown primarily focuses on real estate investments, offering a variety of opportunities in European property development projects. The platform meticulously vets and selects projects based on factors such as location, potential returns, and overall risk, instilling confidence in the investment opportunities presented. Many projects involve rental apartments in Prague’s Smíchov District, allowing investors to gain exposure to this burgeoning market. The platform requires a minimum investment of €50, with available investments generating annual yields between 9% and 12%, accompanied by monthly interest payments. Notably, the Fintown team invests at least 20% of their own funds in every project, ensuring alignment of interests with investors.

The short-term rental market in Prague has experienced significant changes in recent years. Following the global pandemic in 2020, the market faced a substantial drop in demand due to lockdowns and travel restrictions. However, as restrictions have eased, the market is rebounding, bolstered by Prague’s enduring appeal as a tourist destination and the city’s thriving startup scene. These factors contribute to the attractiveness of investing in short-term rentals in Prague, and Fintown offers a convenient avenue for such investments.

While some may view Fintown’s promotion of its own projects as a potential conflict of interest, this approach can be advantageous for investors. By promoting its own ventures, Fintown ensures it has a direct stake in the success of each project, aligning its interests with those of the investors. This active management and investment in the projects offered create a higher level of accountability and transparency.

The investment process on Fintown is straightforward. After reviewing available projects and selecting one that aligns with their investment objectives, investors decide on the amount to invest and complete the transaction. The platform provides updates on project progress, keeping investors informed about their investments’ performance. Fintown offers two investment formats: mezzanine loans and participative loans, both carrying higher risks compared to loans secured by a mortgage.

Fintown projects typically offer attractive returns, aiming to provide investors with a combination of capital appreciation and rental income, depending on the project’s nature. Each project has a specified minimum term, ranging from 9 to 24 months, indicating the lock-up period for funds. After this period, investors can withdraw their funds at no additional charge. Early exit is possible through a request on the platform, subject to an exit fee based on the remaining term duration.

Invest with Fintown

3. LANDE

LANDE was started in 2019, when two experienced professionals from the secured lending sector Ņikita Gončars and Edgars Tālums became aware that there is a niche in the crowdlending market, as none of the existing market players offered low-LTV investment deals.

LANDE is going after the agricultural loans niche. There is currently a big gap between the financing needs of farmers in Eastern Europe and what’s available to them from banks and other lending providers.

Read more: My full review of LANDE

All projects are first rank mortgage, which is the most secure type of mortgage you can get. Other platforms offer second-rank mortgages which are riskier, but can have higher interest rates.

I would recommend having a look at LANDE as it might be one of the most innovative players in the space going forward. It’s worth mentioning that LANDE also has skin-in-the-game for every project launched.

Invest on LANDE

The real estate market is in constant flux due to the numerous factors that affect it, and you, therefore, need to do your homework properly before deciding on an investment. For example, the duration of the investment can be the main differentiating factor between a successful investment and a disastrous one. Some markets offer time-limited but very lucrative investment windows, while other markets have certain properties that make them really stable and thus ideal for long term investments, perhaps at lower rates of return.

I also recommend that you check out my article about the taxation of P2P and real estate platforms in Spain. Although I wrote that article with Spanish residents in mind, the same concepts apply to most other countries in Europe.

Do you know of any other platforms that I have not mentioned? Let me know in the comments section.

Bulkestate Review 2024 – No Longer Accepting Investment

Last updated: November 28, 202417 Comments

BulkEstate is no longer operating as a crowdfunding platform, and the skeleton team that’s left is working on recovering the pending loans. If you’re looking for real estate investment platforms, unfortunately this one is no longer an option.

Alternative Platforms

If you’re looking for other places you can put your money to earn a decent return, consider the following:

Mintos: Mintos is a leading European P2P lending platform that offers a wide range of investment opportunities, including consumer, business, and real estate loans. With a large number of loan originators and a secondary market, Mintos provides an opportunity for increased diversification and liquidity.
PeerBerry: PeerBerry is another popular P2P lending platform in Europe that focuses on short-term consumer loans. The platform offers competitive returns, a buyback guarantee, and an Auto Invest feature.
Bondora: Bondora is an established P2P lending platform that provides investors with various investment options, including consumer loans and a unique “Go & Grow” feature that allows for simple, low-risk investing with instant liquidity.
Estateguru: For investors looking to diversify into real estate-backed loans, Estateguru is a solid option. The platform offers secured loans with attractive returns and a user-friendly interface.

How P2P Lending and Property Crowdlending is Taxed in Spain

Last updated: September 29, 20225 Comments

Crowdlending is very popular in Spain, and I have written about my experience with property crowdfunding platforms in Spain before. For the purposes of this article, crowdlending and crowdfunding are interchangeable as they are treated the same for tax purposes.

This includes P2P lending platforms in Europe; as a Spanish resident this income will also be taxed according to the savings rates.

Any interest obtained is declared as benefits from movable capital. This is pretty much the same as profits obtained from deposits or dividends from stocks. You need to declare interest even if that same interest has been re-invested or never withdrawn from the crowdfunding platform. If you receive dividends in 2020, you will declare them in 2021; always one year later.

In the IRPF form, look for box number 23, where you will need to insert the total amount of profits, without discounting any retenciones imposed by the platform.

If you are receiving dividends from foreign crowdlending platforms, they will be declared in the same way as the Spanish ones. Remember that in the IRPF you declare your worldwide income. There is no other obligation to comply with when investing in foreign platforms.

Most Spanish crowdfunding platforms will automatically deduct 19% from your profits and declare them to Hacienda. Once you access your Hacienda account, you will be able to see all your retenciones.

Income from property crowdfunding is classified as savings income in Spain. There are the following tax bands in place:

Spanish tax rate on savings income up to €6,000: 19%
Spanish tax rate on savings income from €6,000 to €50,000: 21%
Spanish tax rate on savings income over €50,000 to €140,000: 23%
Spanish tax rate on savings income over €140,000: 27%

You might have noticed that the lowest band is 19%, and that is why the Spanish crowdfunding platforms automatically pay tax of 19% on your behalf. If your income from such platforms is higher than €6,000, you will have to pay additional tax according to the bands above.

If you are participating in property crowdfunding on platforms that are based outside of Spain, they will normally send you the full proceeds from any dividends or capital gains due to sales of property. You will then have to declare the income on your IRPF tax form, which is due for submission between April and June of the following year.

I hope that helps you understand what taxes you typically have to pay after investing in property crowdfunding platforms.

Note that you will also have to take into consideration the Modelo 720 when thinking about taxation and reporting. While modelo 720 does not require the declaration of any loans given out to thid parties, you might have idle cash sitting in your platform’s accounts and sometimes these need to be declared.

If you have any further questions let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them.

You can find more information about paying taxes in Spain on this site.

__________________

Please note that I am not an accountant or financial advisor, the above is the fruit of my personal research, and might contain inaccuracies. Before you submit any tax returns, I highly recommend you contact a tax consultant or accountant to check your numbers.

How to Open a Maltese Personal Bank Account

Last updated: January 04, 2024Leave a Comment

One of the first steps in establishing a life in Malta is opening a bank account. In this article, I will talk about the typical process for opening an account at a local bank, and some alternatives if that doesn’t work out for you. Unfortunately, banks in Malta have become excessively stringent and many people, especially expats, are finding it impossible to open a bank account with one of the local banks.

1. Choosing the Right Bank

There are several banks in Malta, both local and international, that offer various banking services to individuals. Some of the most prominent banks include:

Bank of Valletta (BOV)
HSBC Malta
APS Bank
Lombard Bank
Banif Bank (now BNF Bank)

Each bank has its own set of account options and fees, so it is essential to research and compare their offerings to find the one that best suits your needs.

2. Required Documentation

When opening a bank account in Malta, you will need to provide the following documents:

A valid passport or national ID card (for EU/EEA nationals)
Proof of address (e.g., a utility bill or rental agreement)
A reference letter from your current bank or a bank statement
Proof of income or employment (e.g., a payslip, an employment contract, or a pension statement)
Tax Identification Number (TIN) or Social Security Number (if applicable)

Some banks may also require additional documentation, so it is advisable to check with your chosen bank for any specific requirements.

3. Opening a Bank Account in Person

Most banks in Malta require individuals to open an account in person at one of their local branches. It is a good idea to schedule an appointment with the bank to ensure a smooth and efficient process. During the appointment, you will be asked to present the required documentation and complete an application form. The bank may also ask about the purpose of the account, the source of funds, and your expected banking activity.

4. Opening a Bank Account Remotely

In some cases, it may be possible to open a Maltese bank account remotely. However, this option is usually limited to individuals who already have a relationship with the bank or can provide a strong reference from their current bank. Additionally, remote account opening may involve more stringent documentation requirements, such as notarized copies of your documents.

5. Bank Account Features and Fees

Maltese bank accounts typically offer various features, such as online banking, debit cards, and access to a network of ATMs. However, it is essential to be aware of the fees associated with these services. Some banks charge monthly account maintenance fees, transaction fees, or fees for using ATMs outside of their network. Make sure to review the fee structure of your chosen bank to avoid any unexpected costs.

BoV VS HSBC

The two big banks in Malta are HSBC and Bank of Valletta.

Here are some of my notes on opening and maintaining bank accounts with both of these banks.

Internet Banking

Although BOV revamped their internet banking system in 2018, they only made it even worse than before, both looks and functionality-wise. HSBC offers a clean interface and an easy way to contact bank officials and get your queries resolved in a timely manner via the internet banking interface. I’ve previously sent messages to BOV from the internet banking that I never got replies to.

The internet banking key of HSBC is also much thinner and thus is easier to carry around.

Branches

HSBC is a clear winner here. Staff is professional and smart, and the offices are modern and well appointed. BOV offices seem to be older and badly designed.

Getting Things Done

HSBC has a reputation of being tougher with their requirements than BOV. Nowadays, however, both of them have strict procedures to adhere to, and if you follow the procedure, I’ve actually found dealing with HSBC to be a more pleasant experience and always very efficient.

Crypto-Friendliness

BoV does not allow outgoing transfers to crypto exchanges, while incoming transfers might also be subject to checks and blocks. HSBC also prevents its users from interacting with crypto exchanges.

ATMs

Again, I think the HSBC ATMs are easier to use and easier to access.

Fees

BOV charge €60/year if your residential address is outside of Malta. HSBC charges €30/month to companies, while BOV doesn’t.

Which Bank Should You Use?

I’ve always believed that it’s always safer to use two banks rather than one. It gives you more peace of mind in the unlikely event of things going south. It also gives you the opportunity to compare and contrast banks and take your business to the one that serves you best. It might also very well be the case that one bank excels in one area but is poor in another and vice versa.

After holding accounts with both BoV and HSBC for more than 20 years, I’ve decided to shut down my BoV account for two reasons. One is that their new internet banking system is horrendous, and second because every year I kept getting hit by some new hidden charge or issue and I’m tired of dealing with them anymore. HSBC have always been the more professional bank so I’m sticking with them.

It is also worth noting that in recent years we have seen the rise of virtual banks such as Revolut and N26, and they offer a far superior experience to the normal customer who just wants an account to deposit money and spend accordingly.

I think N26 has the edge at the moment, and they provide spending analysis via their impressive mobile app, something that will probably take years before BOV or HSBC can implement. They also provide the ability to link smartphones to your account and thus pay through your phone. If you need direct debit facilities, European businesses are now obliged to accept direct debits from non-local banks, so this is no longer a reason for needing a local bank account. N26 will do just fine. However, last time I checked, N26 is not available for Maltese residents yet.

Another option is to open an account with Wise. This can work both as an individual or as a business, and indeed, many of the companies who are opening up in Malta use Wise as their banking partner, due to the difficulties in opening a bank account with a Maltese bank at the moment.

So right now, the best two options for residents in Malta are:

Wise
Revolut

Both will you give you a multiple currency account (USD, EUR, etc). What you would need to do is transfer money out from your BOV account and into your Transferwise or Revolut account. Then from there you can transfer onwards into your cryptocurrency exchange of choice, no problems at all. The same applies for withdrawing money from exchanges, it works the other way round as well.

If you want to learn more about Wise, check out my previous post on Borderless Banking. Another bonus of using Wise and Revolut is that you will be able to get much better rates when converting from one currency to another. The classic case for Maltese people who work in the UK is converting money between GBP and EUR and vice versa. By using Wise or Revolut they can get better rates than when using a Maltese bank to do the conversion.

Open a Revolut account | Wise account

What about Crypto Transfers?

The big banks have proven to be reluctant to deal with crypto, so you’d need to look at the smaller banks. Unfortunately, due to Malta being a small country, there aren’t that many options.

Agribank seems to be the only banking provider in Malta that allows transfers to and from crypto exchanges.

Paytah is touted to be a crypto-friendly bank and it is definitely involved with crypto companies and payments processing, however, it has repeatedly been in the news for the wrong reasons.

If you explicitly want to make crypto transfers, either as an individual or as a company, then your only option is Agribank at the moment.