UBS disclosed that its spot Bitcoin ETF holdings have increased to approximately $90 million, a 230% rise from previous levels. The Swiss bank has also expanded its range of related products for wealth management clients, indicating that traditional financial institutions continue to advance their allocation to and services for crypto assets.
Holdings increased to 2.5 million shares
According to disclosures, UBS increased its stake in the BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) to approximately 2.5 million shares, equivalent to a market value of about $90 million. When the bank first allocated to a Bitcoin ETF in early 2024, it held only 3,600 shares, valued at less than $150,000.
An UBS spokesperson stated that the bank recognizes the role of distributed ledger technologies, such as blockchain, in digital assets. Regarding this change in positioning, UBS has significantly increased its exposure to spot Bitcoin ETFs.
We are also advancing our wealth management services in parallel.
In addition to its own holdings, UBS is also making IBIT and similar products available to its wealth management clients. This means the bank is both increasing its exposure on its own balance sheet and advancing product distribution and trading services for its clients.
A person familiar with the matter said this week that UBS is evaluating the provision of cryptocurrency trading for its private banking clients in Switzerland. Initially, trading may be opened for Bitcoin and Ethereum, with potential expansion to the Asia-Pacific and U.S. markets to follow. However, the implementation details have not yet been finalized.
Institutional holdings continue to grow.
Despite the overall pressure on the crypto market over the past year, institutional participation in Bitcoin ETFs has remained high. The report notes that in the first quarter of 2026, 1,560 institutions held IBIT, with a combined holding value exceeding $27 billion.
Since the U.S. approved spot cryptocurrency ETFs in January 2024, the assets under management for these products have grown rapidly. Currently, the total assets under management for U.S. cryptocurrency ETFs are nearing $140 billion, with BlackRock’s IBIT remaining one of the leading products.
The report also stated that some hedge funds reduced their Bitcoin ETF exposure in the first quarter of 2026, but banks overall continue to increase their holdings. According to the data in the article, Bitcoin is currently trading at $63,433, down more than 40% over the past year.