Key facts
- UniCredit is reportedly seeking a technology partner for digital asset services.
- Services under consideration include crypto trading, custody, and tokenized investment products.
- The bank is also exploring stablecoin-based fixed-income securities.
- Discussions are in the early stages.
- Other major banks are also experimenting with digital asset infrastructure.
UniCredit Bank is reportedly in the market for a technology provider to help it establish infrastructure for digital asset services, including crypto trading, custody, and access to tokenized investment products. According to people familiar with the matter who spoke to Bloomberg on Friday, the discussions are in their nascent stages. The Italian bank's interest spans areas such as crypto custody and brokerage, as well as tokenized investment products and stablecoin-based fixed-income securities. Cointelegraph has reached out to UniCredit for comment. Several other major financial institutions are also actively exploring digital asset and stablecoin infrastructure. U.S. Bank, the fifth-largest commercial bank in the United States, recently completed a cross-border payment using its proprietary USBDC stablecoin. In the United Arab Emirates, Standard Chartered launched spot Bitcoin and Ether trading for institutional clients in September 2024, following its introduction of digital asset custody services in the region in September 2024. Earlier, in August, Israel's largest bank, Leumi, announced a partnership with Galaxy Digital to offer Bitcoin, Ether, and Solana trading through its investment platform, with a launch anticipated in early 2027.