Discovery Bank has announced a deep partnership with global crypto exchange Luno to integrate full cryptocurrency trading directly into its mobile banking app.
Revealed on 13 November 2025 during its annual product showcase, the feature set to launch in December 2025 will let users buy, sell, hold, and track more than 50 cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin and Ethereum, without leaving the Discovery app.
With instant, fee-free transfers, AI-driven security, and even Vitality Money rewards on crypto balances, Discovery becomes the first major African bank to merge traditional banking, lifestyle incentives, and digital assets at this scale.
As CEO Hylton Kallner put it:
“Crypto assets have matured into an accessible, mainstream asset class. Our clients and South Africans generally are already active here, and our regulations align with global norms.”
Luno CEO James Lanigan described it as “a first-of-its-kind solution in Africa,” marking crypto’s transition from marginal finance to the centre of everyday banking.
For Discovery’s 1 million+ clients, who log in more than 10 million times every month, it’s the next evolution of a financial super-app in a country where digital payments will hit R2.9 trillion ($158.8 billion) this year. Here’s why it matters.
Seamless Crypto Access for a Crypto-Hungry Nation
Starting in December, Discovery users will be able to trade crypto via connected Luno wallets directly from the app, backed by Luno’s liquidity, ISO 27001 certification, and monthly proof-of-reserves.
The timing is perfect. South Africa is now Africa’s crypto capital, with 19.6% of adults, or just about 6.7 million people, holding digital assets (up from 10.5% in 2024).
Sub-Saharan Africa processed $205 billion in crypto transactions over the year to June 2025, driven by small retail transfers ideal for remittances and inflation hedging.
Discovery’s integration drastically lowers the barrier for newcomers. Instead of navigating unfamiliar platforms, users can fund accounts through their bank, trade instantly, and see crypto alongside everyday banking, savings, insurance, and rewards.
But the game-changer is Vitality Money. Discovery will reward users for maintaining healthy crypto balances, effectively incentivising risk-managed investing, not speculation.
It takes crypto into the same behavioural ecosystem that rewards users for healthy spending, safe driving, and good financial habits.
A Bigger Vision: AI Security, Insurance, Rewards, and a True Super-App
Crypto isn’t launching in isolation; it arrives alongside several new upgrades that transform Discovery into a holistic digital finance hub:
- TRUST Alert: An AI-based fraud detection system going live in December 2025, giving real-time alerts as the app learns user behaviour.
- In-App Insurance: Instant Discovery Insure car quotes and same-day activation with no broker, no paperwork.
- MultiChoice Rewards:
- From December, users earn 25% back in Discovery Miles on DStv debit orders.
- By Q2 2026, up to 50% will be back on streaming.
- Admyt Integration: Automatic parking refunds over December–January when users spend R250+ at participating malls with a Discovery card.
All of this plugs into the Vitality shared-value engine, linking behaviour, finances, health, and rewards in one ecosystem.
READ ALSO:Discovery Bank’s Success Story: One Million Customers
Discovery Bank’s Growth Story: Fast, Profitable, and Digital to the Core
Since launching in 2019, Discovery Bank has grown to over 1 million clients, adding more than 1,000 per day in 2025.
It achieved profitability for the first time in H2 FY2025, posting R1.2 billion in normalised operating profit, a major milestone in a market historically dominated by Capitec, FNB, and Standard Bank.
The bank’s super-app strategy, bringing together banking, investing, forex, insurance, shared rewards, and now crypto, makes it one of Africa’s most advanced financial platforms.
Discovery already handles over 10 million app logins per month, and deep linking with Luno could push engagement to new highs.
Given South Africa’s 95% mobile penetration and surging digital payments, this move strengthens the country’s position as a fintech leader in Africa’s $10+ billion digital banking wave.
Crypto as a Catalyst for Inclusion
With 3.9 million South Africans still unbanked and millions more living in the informal economy, Discovery’s crypto gateway could spark:
- Low-barrier investing for young and underserved customers
- Cheaper, faster remittances compared to traditional channels
- Safer digital storage of value amid currency volatility
- Integration of the unbanked into financial services through app-based onboarding
By merging crypto with familiar banking environments, Discovery reduces fear, increases trust, and broadens access.
A Turning Point for African Banking
Discovery’s integration of crypto trading through Luno signals a turning point where digital assets become part of mainstream financial wellness.
For more than 1 million Discovery users, this means:
- Trading crypto in seconds
- Earning rewards for holding digital assets
- Benefiting from advanced AI security
- Managing everything from banking to insurance in one ecosystem
And for the continent? It’s a blueprint. As Lanigan said, the move will “inspire institutions worldwide.”
Vitality Money: Fees, Status, Benefits & How It Works
Vitality Money premium fee varies by account type and unlocks rewards across Discovery Bank. Members on Vitality Money Diamond status benefits enjoy the highest rewards, including boosted interest, travel savings, and premium lifestyle perks.
You can access your dashboard through Vitality Money login on the Discovery Bank app or online.
Core Vitality Money benefits include lower banking fees, dynamic interest rates, and personalised financial insights.
To grow your status, you must learn how to earn Vitality Money points by managing debt, saving regularly, keeping healthy cash flow, and maintaining emergency funds.
The Vitality Money app tracks progress, showing your Vitality Money status from Blue to Diamond. New users can follow simple steps on the app to learn how to activate Vitality Money and begin earning rewards.
Ronnie Paul is a seasoned writer and analyst with a prolific portfolio of over 1,000 published articles, specialising in fintech, cryptocurrency, climate change, and digital finance at Africa Digest News.
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