UBS Opens Bitcoin & Ethereum Trading to Wealthy Clients in Bold Crypto Pivot

UBS Group AG, the world’s largest wealth manager overseeing $6.9 trillion in assets, announced on January 23, 2026, that it will offer direct spot trading of Bitcoin and Ethereum to select high-net-worth private banking clients in Switzerland. The service, currently in partner-selection phase after months of internal discussions, begins with BTC and ETH before potential expansion into Asia-Pacific and U.S. markets. This marks a significant step for the Swiss banking giant, building on its existing crypto-linked ETF offerings in Hong Kong (since 2023) and ongoing blockchain initiatives such as UBS Tokenize and Digital Cash.

The announcement arrives amid short-term crypto market turbulence, with Bitcoin dipping 2.5% to around $104,200 and Ethereum sliding 3.1% to near $3,450 on profit-taking, weekend unlock risks (including Bitget Token), and mixed macro signals. Despite the pullback, UBS’s move reinforces the broader institutional adoption trend, aligning with President Trump’s pro-crypto agenda and recent regulatory momentum from SEC-CFTC harmonization efforts. It joins similar initiatives at Morgan Stanley (via E*Trade) and JPMorgan’s institutional pilots, signaling TradFi’s accelerating embrace of digital assets.

Long-term, UBS’s entry is widely viewed as a major validation that could unlock billions in fresh capital flows from ultra-wealthy clients and family offices. By providing direct access rather than just derivatives or ETFs, the bank positions itself at the forefront of mainstream crypto integration for the world’s affluent, potentially catalyzing greater liquidity, price stability, and wider acceptance of Bitcoin and Ethereum as legitimate portfolio components in the years ahead.