JPMorgan Chase dives into crypto trading for institutional clients
JPMorgan Chase just announced it'll offer crypto trading to its big institutional clients.
Instead of holding the crypto itself, the bank will work with third-party custodians—playing it safe on the regulatory front while tapping into growing demand from investors.
New service builds on previous pilot with JPM Deposit Token
JPMorgan's new service builds on its June 2025 pilot with the JPM Deposit Token and teams up with Coinbase for smooth, direct bank-to-wallet transfers.
Clients will even be able to turn Chase Ultimate Rewards points into crypto right from their wallets, with this feature expected to go live in 2026.
Competitors like Citi and Morgan Stanley are also expanding into crypto
JPMorgan is focusing on stablecoins and regulatory clarity, but competitors like Citi are planning crypto custody solutions by 2026, considering both in-house and third-party options, and Morgan Stanley is expanding into retirement accounts.
By relying on third parties, JPMorgan is prioritizing risk management—but might move a bit slower than some rivals offering everything under one roof, which is a plausible analysis.