European banking behemoth UniCredit is coming into the crypto enviornment with a structured product tied to BlackRock’s spot Bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF), Bloomberg Information reported on July 1, citing an inner memo.
Underneath the plan, UniCredit will supply skilled purchasers a five-year, U.S. dollar-denominated funding certificates linked to BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Belief (IBIT). The product will assure 100% capital safety at maturity.
BlackRock launched its spot Bitcoin exchange-traded product in Europe in March, itemizing beneath the ticker “IB1T” on Euronext Paris and Xetra, and “BTCN” on Euronext Amsterdam.
The agency’s U.S.-listed IBIT fund has amassed over $73 billion in property beneath administration, making it essentially the most profitable crypto-linked monetary product by funding capital up to now.
The transfer comes amid a sweeping embrace of digital property by European banks, enabled by the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Property (MiCA) regulatory regime turning into efficient throughout the bloc.
Deutsche Financial institution final week confirmed it should launch institutional crypto custody companies in 2026. It follows a June announcement that the lender can also be exploring stablecoin issuance and blockchain cost tasks in line with MiCA tips.
Concurrently, Germany’s Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, comprising native financial savings banks with over 50 million clients, is making ready to roll out regulated crypto buying and selling entry for its retail purchasers by summer time 2026, providing property equivalent to Bitcoin (BTC) and Ethereum (ETH).
In the meantime, Deutsche Boerse’s custody arm, Clearstream, started offering institutional purchasers with Bitcoin and Ethereum settlement and custody companies earlier this yr.
France’s Societe Generale can also be persevering with its growth into digital finance and launching a dollar-pegged stablecoin, USD CoinVertible, through its SG-FORGE subsidiary this month.dy.
Spain’s BBVA, generally cautious on crypto, now advises prosperous purchasers to carry 3%–7% of their portfolios in Bitcoin and Ethereum. The lender has additionally secured approval to launch crypto buying and selling companies.
Nonetheless, European regulators stay cautious. ECB Governor Fabio Panetta just lately reiterated considerations of reputational dangers from crypto companies inside regulated banks and confused the necessity to handle investor expectations and take into account a digital euro to protect confidence in monetary techniques.
