River Says 60% Of US Top Banks Are Ready For Bitcoin

• Over half of the top 25 USbanks now offer or plan to provide Bitcoin services like trading and custody, according to a recent report from River.
• Major players like JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo are leading the charge with over $7.3 trillion in combined assets.
• The Bank of America recently changed its stance by recommending a 1% to 4% Bitcoin allocation for certain clients.

Major institutions are now racing to embrace digital assets, according to recent data from River.

According to this report, 60% of the top US banks are now moving into the Bitcoin space, which is a welcome development because it is different from previous years, when many of these same banks avoided the sector entirely. 

Today, the biggest names on Wall Street have moved from watching from the sidelines to actively building tools for their wealthiest clients.

60% of Top US Banks Move Toward Bitcoin Services

The report from River shows an interesting trend among the country’s largest financial institutions. 

Out of the top 25 banks in the country, 15 have already launched or announced plans for Bitcoin related products. Not only this, these services include everything from secure storage to direct trading platforms. 

The change in trend is especially great because of the rise in demand from institutional investors and wealthy individuals who want a safe way to hold the asset.

Brian Armstrong, the CEO of Coinbase recently shared his observations from the Davos World Economic Forum. 

60% of the top US banks are into bitcoin. pic.twitter.com/AqceDDfjDP

— River (@River) January 26, 2026

He said that he met with several banking leaders who now view crypto as a top priority, and one CEO even described the technology as “existential” for their business. 

In other words, this means that the “Operation Chokepoint 2.0” era, where banks were accused of pushing crypto firms away, is finally coming to an end.

Three of the Big Four Lead the Way

The “Big Four” banks in the United States are a massive part of this, and three of them are already on the list of firms embracing the asset. 

JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the country, is considering adding direct trading for its customers. On the other hand, Wells Fargo has taken a different route by offering loans backed by Bitcoin to its institutional clients.

Citigroup is also making moves by trying out institutional custody services. These three banks alone manage over $7.3 trillion in assets and their entry into the market provides a source of legitimacy that was missing earlier. 

Even UBS, the Swiss giant, is now offering Bitcoin and Ether trading to its wealthiest clients.

Bank of America Softens Its Stance

Bank of America was once the biggest crypto roadblock among banks in the US. However, recent reports show the second-largest US bank is changing its tune. 

While it has not yet launched its own trading desk, it has started recommending that certain clients allocate 1% to 4% of their portfolios to digital assets. This advice comes from the bank’s Private Bank and Merrill divisions.

The bank is also starting to cover four US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs including products from major firms like BlackRock, Fidelity and Grayscale. 

In other words, by providing research and guidance on these ETFs, Bank of America is helping its 15,000 advisors enter the market on behalf of their clients. This is a major win for the industry, considering how the bank previously banned its employees from discussing the asset class