UBS Weighs Cryptocurrency Investing for Select Private Banking Clients
GeokHub
ZURICH | Jan 23 (GeokHub) UBS is exploring plans to offer cryptocurrency investment services to a limited group of private banking clients, marking a potential expansion of digital asset access within one of the world’s largest wealth managers, Bloomberg News reported on Friday.
Citing people familiar with the matter, the report said the Swiss lender is selecting external partners to support the proposed crypto offering. Under the initial phase, select private banking clients in Switzerland would be able to buy and sell bitcoin and ether, with a broader rollout to regions such as Asia-Pacific and the United States under consideration.
UBS Cites Client Demand, Risk Controls
A UBS spokesperson declined to comment directly on the Bloomberg report but said the bank continues to evaluate opportunities tied to digital assets.
“As part of UBS’s digital asset strategy, we actively monitor developments and explore initiatives that reflect client needs, regulatory developments, market trends and robust risk controls,” the spokesperson told source.
The bank added that it recognizes the importance of distributed ledger technologies such as blockchain, which underpin cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.
Institutional Crypto Adoption Gains Momentum
The reported move comes as wealthy and institutional clients increasingly seek exposure to digital assets, prompting major banks to cautiously expand crypto-related services.
Bloomberg News reported last year that JPMorgan Chase was considering cryptocurrency trading for institutional clients, while Morgan Stanley said it would roll out crypto trading on its E*Trade platform starting in the first half of this year.
If confirmed, UBS’s initiative would represent another step in the mainstream institutional adoption of cryptocurrencies, a trend that has accelerated under U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pledged to make the United States the “crypto capital of the world.”
