Hargreaves Lansdown Opens Doors to Bitcoin and Ether for UK Investors

Hargreaves Lansdown, one of the UK's largest investment platforms, has started offering nine Bitcoin and Ether exchange-traded notes (ETNs) to eligible customers.

The move comes nearly a year after regulators reopened retail access to crypto ETNs. Hargreaves had previously questioned whether Bitcoin should be treated as an asset class, but now offers exposure to the price of both cryptocurrencies through ETNs from issuers including Blackrock's iShares and 21Shares.

Customers must meet eligibility requirements, pass an appropriateness assessment, and wait through a 24-hour cooling-off period before trading. This reflects the caution still surrounding retail crypto access in the UK.