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UBS Plans Bitcoin Trading for Select Wealth Clients

UBS Group AG is preparing to offer bitcoin trading to a select group of private banking clients in Switzerland.

According to a Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter, the Swiss banking giant has been in discussions for several months about launching a cryptocurrency trading offering and is currently in the process of selecting external partners. 

The service would initially be limited to a small subset of Swiss private banking clients, with a broader rollout possible at a later stage.

UBS has not made a final decision on implementation, the people said, and the plans remain subject to regulatory, operational, and risk considerations.

Rather than building a full digital asset stack in-house, the banks is reportedly evaluating partnerships with third-party providers that could handle trading execution, custody, and compliance. 

A partner-led model would allow the bank to offer crypto exposure while limiting balance sheet risk and operational complexity.

Such an approach mirrors strategies adopted by other major financial institutions entering the digital asset space, particularly those seeking to comply with stringent capital requirements under the Basel III framework.

Under the proposed structure, the company would initially allow eligible clients to buy and sell bitcoin (BTC) and ethereum (ETH), the two largest digital assets by market capitalization. 

Additional assets have not been discussed.

Possible UBS expansion beyond Switzerland

While the initial rollout would focus on Switzerland, Bloomberg reported that UBS is considering expanding the service to other regions, including Asia-Pacific and the United States, depending on regulatory clarity and client demand.

UBS currently manages approximately $4.7 trillion in wealth assets as of September 30, making it the largest wealth manager globally, according to Bloomberg. Even a limited crypto offering could represent a meaningful step toward broader institutional adoption of bitcoin within traditional private banking.

The bank has historically maintained a cautious stance on cryptocurrencies. 

In November 2023, UBS allowed wealthy clients in Hong Kong to trade cryptocurrency-linked exchange-traded funds, joining competitors such as HSBC, but stopped short of offering direct spot crypto trading.

A UBS spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of the Bloomberg report but confirmed that the bank continues to explore digital asset initiatives.

“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 said. “We recognize the importance of distributed ledger technology like blockchain, which underpins digital assets.”

This post UBS Plans Bitcoin Trading for Select Wealth Clients first appeared on Bitcoin Magazine and is written by Micah Zimmerman.