🏦 Intesa Sanpaolo Doubles Crypto Holdings and Expands Blockchain Asset Exposure Italy’s largest bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, more than doubled its crypto holdings in Q1 2026, rising to $235 million from $100 million at the end of 2025. The increase was driven primarily by Bitcoin via the bank’s positions in ARK 21Shares BTC ETF and BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF. For the first time, the bank added Ethereum exposure through iShares Staked Ethereum Trust and increased its stake in Ripple via Grayscale XRP Trust ETF, totaling $26 million, according to https://t.co/mKqAhvSxdR. The bank also opened a new position in iShares Bitcoin Trust call options — its first foray into crypto derivatives — while nearly exiting Solana, reducing its stake in Bitwise Solana Staking ETF from 266,320 to 2,817 shares. Equity adjustments included a new 165,600-share position in BitGo, closing positions in Bitmine and Strategy put options, and an increase in Coinbase shares from 1,500 to 10,357. These moves highlight a strategic focus on major crypto infrastructure and exchange equities. Intesa’s expansion coincides with a Ripple custody partnership offering institutional clients streamlined asset management. Across Europe, banks are integrating crypto into mainstream channels: BBVA in Spain and BPCE in France provide 24/7 Bitcoin and Ethereum trading via apps, and the Qivalis consortium plans a MiCA-compliant euro-backed stablecoin in H2 2026. Full text of the news is available on our news portal https://t.co/zPCES16vLj 🎓 Learn how banks are embedding crypto services, managing risk, and complying with MiCA — with Cryptemic Academy. #crypto #bitcoin #ethereum #ripple #altcoins #banks #cryptemic #cryptemicacademy