UBS plans to open cryptocurrency trading, allowing high-net-worth clients to directly buy and sell Bitcoin, Ethereum

According to Bloomberg, UBS Group AG is evaluating providing cryptocurrency investment services to some private banking clients.
(Background: UBS: High-net-worth clients are abandoning the US dollar in favor of gold, cryptocurrencies, and Chinese assets)
(Additional context: UBS launches its first tokenized fund “On-Chain Ethereum”. Why do TradFi choose ETH?)

According to Bloomberg, UBS Group AG is evaluating providing cryptocurrency investment services to some private banking clients. The related discussions have been ongoing for several months, currently still in the partner selection stage, and no final decision has been made. However, if the plan is implemented, it will mark a significant step for one of the world’s largest wealth management institutions in the digital asset space.

Initial Focus on Swiss High-Net-Worth Clients

The report indicates that the service is expected to be initially launched through UBS’s private banking division in Switzerland, targeting some high-net-worth clients, offering direct trading channels for buying and selling Bitcoin and Ethereum. In the future, expansion to Asia-Pacific and the US markets is not ruled out to meet the global demand for digital asset allocation.

Strategic Adjustment Amid Large Asset Scale

UBS manages assets ranked first globally. Data shows that as of September 30, 2025, its wealth management assets amount to approximately $4.7 trillion. With such a scale, any adjustment in investment services carries significant implications. The market generally interprets this move as a reflection of UBS shifting from cautious to more proactive attitudes toward cryptocurrencies, driven by client demand and market competition.

It is worth noting that UBS has long been involved in blockchain development. Its “UBS Tokenize” service focuses on tokenization issuance of bonds, funds, and structured products, and has completed multiple practical applications by 2025, including the first end-to-end tokenized fund trading process. This evaluation to directly provide cryptocurrency trading indicates that the bank is extending from infrastructure and financial product tokenization to mainstream digital asset trading services.

However, UBS has not yet announced a timetable or specific implementation details, and the official has not responded publicly. Market insiders suggest that if the plan proceeds smoothly, it will accelerate the integration of traditional finance and cryptocurrencies, potentially reshaping high-net-worth clients’ asset allocation methods and further promoting institutional adoption of mainstream cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.