UniCredit Weighs Crypto Custody and Brokerage Plans

Italian bank UniCredit is exploring an expansion into digital assets, including crypto custody and brokerage. According to Bloomberg, the discussions are in the early stages, with no final decision made on which services to offer or when they might be available.

The bank has already tested the market through a Bitcoin-linked certificate and Italy's first public-blockchain tokenized minibond, issued last December. UniCredit opened a five-year certificate linked to BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) in July 2025, with full capital protection at maturity and a cap of 85% on returns.

The bank is also part of the Qivalis consortium, which plans to launch a MiCA-compliant euro stablecoin on Ethereum in the second half of 2026. UniCredit's move into digital assets would require it to hold a license under the EU's Markets in Crypto-Assets regulation (MiCA), which has been in effect since July 1.