LHV Bank

Commercial bank · Tallinn, Estonia

LHV is an Estonian banking group listed in Tallinn that runs AS LHV Pank in Estonia and LHV Bank Limited in the United Kingdom. Group assets were EUR 9.65 billion at 30 June 2026 and it employed 1,176 people. Its Banking Services unit holds accounts for more than 200 regulated payment firms, e-money institutions and banks, and gives them indirect access to Faster Payments, Bacs, SEPA Credit Transfer and SEPA Instant. In Estonia it runs a retail and corporate bank with free euro payments, letters of credit, factoring and card acquiring, and it received an Estonian MiCA crypto-asset service provider licence in the second quarter of 2026. Finantsinspektsioon fined the bank EUR 900,000 in October 2023 over anti-money-laundering failures in its correspondent banking business.

Legal name: AS LHV Group
Regulated by: European Central Bank (direct supervision, significant institution), Finantsinspektsioon, the Estonian Financial Supervision and Resolution Authority, Prudential Regulation Authority and Financial Conduct Authority (LHV Bank Limited, FRN 993767)
Licence confirmed: yes, on a regulator's own list
Established: 1999
Website: www.lhv.ee/en

Scores, 0 to 10

9.5Fintech companies that need a partner bank

Banking fintechs is a core business line, with more than 200 regulated financial institutions served, safeguarding accounts, white-label indirect scheme access and Confirmation of Payee. · source

7.5Europe (EU, EEA, Switzerland)

Estonian licensed bank whose companies pay nothing to open or run an account and nothing for SEPA payments in the internet bank, while EU-registered companies (except Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta) can apply for EUR 300 plus EUR 30 a month. · source

7.5Lowest fees

Account opening and maintenance are free for Estonian companies and SEPA payments in the internet bank cost nothing, while a company in a high-risk field of activity pays EUR 1,000 to apply and EUR 100 a month. · source

7.0Financial strength & stability

Own funds were EUR 869.6 million at 30 June 2026 with a core Tier 1 ratio of 15.81% and total capital adequacy of 20.8%, above the group target of 20.0%. · source

7.0On-ramp: buy crypto with fiat

A company can buy crypto from its LHV account in euros with a 0.5% fee and a 20 euro minimum, and LHV's risk appetite excludes only unregulated exchanges, crypto ATMs, mixers and anonymous coins. · source

7.0Off-ramp: crypto to fiat in a business account

Holdings sell back to euros in the same account from a 10 euro minimum, and funds from licensed crypto firms fall inside the bank's published risk appetite. · source

6.5United Kingdom

LHV Bank Limited holds a UK banking licence under FRN 993767 with direct Faster Payments and Bacs access, but UK business products are commercial loans of GBP 0.5m to GBP 15m and accounts for regulated financial institutions rather than ordinary business current accounts. · source

6.5Crypto-friendly bank

The published risk appetite prohibits only unregulated crypto exchanges, crypto ATMs, mixers and anonymous crypto currency, so licensed crypto firms stay inside the stated appetite. · source

6.0Cross-border payments, FX and multi-currency accounts

Spot trades are available in 15 major currencies through an FX API or brokerage, and LHV publishes no FX margin. Virtual accounts give unlimited account numbers issued in the names of underlying customers, instant IBAN issuance by API and local GBP and EUR details for reconciliation, but only in two currencies of settlement. · source

6.0Crypto wallet and custody for a business

Companies can buy and hold 15 crypto assets at LHV free of charge under the MiCA licence Finantsinspektsioon granted AS LHV Pank on 19 May 2026, but LHV says the assets cannot yet be transferred out or used for payments. · source

5.5Trade, manufacturing & import-export

LHV issues letters of credit for importers and exporters and also sells guarantees, documentary collection and factoring, all from a single Estonian balance sheet. · source

5.5Business cards (Visa, Mastercard)

The Estonian price list offers a Business Debit Card and a Business Credit Card with free virtual cards and a 1% conversion fee on foreign-currency transactions; the card network is not named and the UK Banking Services unit issues no cards. · source

5.5Bitcoin

Companies can buy, sell and hold BTC in custody at LHV, but on-chain deposits and withdrawals are not available, checked September 2026. · source

5.5Ethereum

ETH and several ERC-20 tokens can be bought and held without transfers; LHV announced in May 2026 that staking will come as part of a wider update, not yet live. · source

5.0Best interest on business balances

The Estonian savings account pays 1.65% a year in euro, calculated daily on the end-of-day balance. · source

5.0Fast digital onboarding

LHV answers a Banking Services application in 1 to 2 weeks and aims to give a final onboarding decision within 8 to 10 weeks. · source

5.0Online businesses: e-commerce and SaaS

LHV sells card acquiring with payment terminals and online collection in Estonia and settles merchant money the next day, seven days a week. The UK Banking Services unit offers multicurrency operational and safeguarding accounts with GBP and EUR IBANs issued instantly via API, but only to regulated financial institutions, and no Stripe or accounting integration is published. · source

5.0High-risk verticals (iGaming, cannabis, adult, forex)

The risk appetite prohibits gambling without a licence, unlicensed FX brokers, binary options and pornography production, so licensed gambling operators and licensed FX brokers are not on the prohibited list, though Banking Services clients must be regulated financial institutions. · source

4.0Startups & VC-backed companies

The entrepreneur account is free to open and free to run up to EUR 500 of monthly turnover, and startups get the same micro loans, overdrafts and working capital loans as any other small company. · source

4.0Customer satisfaction

Trustpilot rates LHV 2.6 out of 5 and labels the score Poor. · source

4.0Foreign-owned & non-resident companies

In Estonia a company must prove a clear connection to Estonia, non-residents cannot be identified digitally and must visit an LHV office, and companies with offshore ownership are refused; the UK unit serves only regulated financial institutions. · source

1.0Accept crypto payments

LHV's crypto page offers buying and holding only and states the assets cannot be used to pay for services; no merchant crypto acceptance was found, checked September 2026. · source

1.0Stablecoins (USDC, USDT and others)

No stablecoin appears among the 15 crypto assets on LHV's list and no stablecoin payouts are offered, checked September 2026. · source

Sources

Built on public information and the BankStore team's own aggregated experience; no confidential client or partner data. Bank Index and BankStore are not banks. This is information, not financial advice.