# Banking Related Articles

HTX News Center provides the latest articles and in-depth analysis on "Banking", covering market trends, project updates, tech developments, and regulatory policies in the crypto industry.

Intesa Sanpaolo Cuts BTC ETF Stake by 94% and Triples Position in Staked ETH

Italy's largest banking group, Intesa Sanpaolo, significantly reconfigured its digital asset portfolio in Q2. It drastically reduced its stake in BlackRock's iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) by ~94% but maintained a major $67.6M position in the ARK 21Shares Bitcoin ETF (ARKB). Concurrently, the bank tripled its investment in BlackRock's iShares Staked Ethereum Trust, raising its stake to $7.1M. This rotation suggests a strategic pivot towards yield-generating crypto products like staked Ethereum, which offers 3-4% annual rewards, amid a declining market (BTC fell 14%, ETH 25% in Q2). The bank also adjusted stakes in crypto-related companies, notably doubling its position in Bitgo while reducing holdings in Coinbase, Circle, and Robinhood. Additionally, Intesa opened a large $966.42M position in SpaceX, which indirectly provides crypto exposure through its corporate Bitcoin holdings. The moves indicate an evolution from initial experimentation to active, hedged portfolio management of digital assets.

cryptonews.ru08/07 23:51

Intesa Sanpaolo Cuts BTC ETF Stake by 94% and Triples Position in Staked ETH

cryptonews.ru08/07 23:51

US Senate will vote on CLARITY crypto bill ‘without any question’ this week: Tim Scott

Senator Tim Scott, chair of the Senate Banking Committee, stated the Senate will vote on the Digital Asset Market Clarity (CLARITY) Act this week before an August recess. In a Fox Business interview, Scott emphasized there is still time for Majority Leader John Thune to schedule a cloture vote. His comments align with Senator Cynthia Lummis's recent push for a pre-recess vote. To pass, the bill requires support from 60 senators. Key unresolved issues include Democratic concerns over former President Trump's crypto investments and banking industry calls for provisions on stablecoin licensing and restrictions. Lawmakers are negotiating potential adjustments to address these points before the deadline.

cointelegraph08/06 17:05

US Senate will vote on CLARITY crypto bill ‘without any question’ this week: Tim Scott

cointelegraph08/06 17:05

Italy's Largest Bank Cuts Stake in IBIT by 94%, Simultaneously Increases Stake in ETHB

Italy's largest banking group, Intesa Sanpaolo, sharply reduced its stake in the iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) while significantly increasing its position in the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust ETF (ETHB) during Q2. According to a 13F filing, the bank's holdings in IBIT plummeted by 93.7% to 40,723 shares as of June 30, from 646,809 shares at the end of March. The associated call option position was reduced by over 99%. Concurrently, its stake in the Ethereum-focused ETHB fund more than tripled, rising from 116,200 to 349,600 shares. The report also noted a dramatic reduction in its holdings of a Bitwise Solana Staking ETF. The BlackRock-managed ETHB fund, launched in February 2026, combines exposure to Ethereum's market price with staking rewards and held approximately $562.5 million in net assets by early August. Intesa Sanpaolo reported total assets of €992.67 billion and a net profit of €5.55 billion for the first half of 2026.

cryptonews.ru08/05 09:26

Italy's Largest Bank Cuts Stake in IBIT by 94%, Simultaneously Increases Stake in ETHB

cryptonews.ru08/05 09:26

Italian Giant Makes Revolutionary Move: Sells Bitcoin and Solana, Buys This Altcoin Instead!

Italian banking giant Intesa Sanpaolo has executed a major portfolio shift, pivoting heavily from Bitcoin and Solana towards Ethereum. The bank substantially reduced its holdings in the BlackRock iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) by 93.7%, leaving only 40,723 shares, and nearly closed its position in a Solana ETF, cutting it from 2,817 shares to just 7. Conversely, it nearly tripled its investment in Ethereum by increasing its stake in the iShares Staked Ethereum Trust from 116,200 shares to 349,600 shares. This move marks a significant rebalancing of the bank's cryptocurrency ETF portfolio, signaling a strong strategic preference for Ethereum over other major digital assets.

cryptonews.ru08/04 14:58

Italian Giant Makes Revolutionary Move: Sells Bitcoin and Solana, Buys This Altcoin Instead!

cryptonews.ru08/04 14:58

Study Shows Cryptocurrency Usage in Switzerland Twice as High as in Germany

A study by Bearingpoint reveals Switzerland's cryptocurrency adoption rate is double that of Germany, with 28% of Swiss adults using crypto compared to 14% in Germany. The survey of over 4,000 adults also shows Switzerland leads in viewing crypto as a worthwhile investment (37%) and being open to CBDCs (44%). Experts attribute Switzerland's lead to its early regulatory clarity, notably the DLT Act of 2021, which fostered a mature ecosystem like "Crypto Valley," home to 1,749 blockchain firms. While crypto remains most popular among youth, it complements, rather than replaces, traditional finance. Germany, lagging in retail adoption, is now leveraging its massive banking network—serving tens of millions—to integrate crypto services and potentially close the gap. The future will show if Germany's scale can match Switzerland's head start.

cryptonews.ru08/03 09:28

Study Shows Cryptocurrency Usage in Switzerland Twice as High as in Germany

cryptonews.ru08/03 09:28

Sygnum's B2B Bank Model Fuels Cryptocurrency Boom in Switzerland

Swiss digital asset bank Sygnum's B2B model is enabling a cryptocurrency boom in Switzerland by providing integrated infrastructure to traditional banks. Its partnership with Bancastato, a regional bank, allows clients to seamlessly trade cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, and Solana directly within their existing bank apps. This eliminates the friction of using separate platforms. Under this model, Sygnum handles the backend trading infrastructure, custody, compliance, and regulatory licenses, while partner banks maintain their customer relationships and branding. This "infrastructure-as-a-service" approach allows banks to offer crypto services faster and more safely than building them in-house. Over 25 Swiss financial institutions, including Zuger Kantonalbank and PostFinance, now use Sygnum's B2B platform, making regulated digital asset services accessible to over a third of Switzerland's population. The trend reflects a shift where Swiss banks view crypto as another mainstream asset class rather than a niche product. Sygnum, a licensed bank itself with operations in Zurich, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi, leverages Switzerland's mature regulatory framework, which has integrated crypto into existing banking supervision. This environment, along with the concentration of blockchain firms in "Crypto Valley," is helping mainstream cryptocurrency adoption in the country, with an estimated 18-23% of Swiss residents already owning crypto assets.

cryptonews.ru08/01 19:12

Sygnum's B2B Bank Model Fuels Cryptocurrency Boom in Switzerland

cryptonews.ru08/01 19:12

Major Banks Implement Tokenization in Cross-Border Transfers

Major global banks, including JPMorgan, Citi, and UBS, participated in a pilot project called Agorá, led by the Bank for International Settlements, to test tokenized cross-border payments. The initiative involved five central banks and 28 commercial institutions. The pilot processed approximately $1 million across six currencies (USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CHF, KRW) using tokenized central bank reserves and commercial bank deposits. A key advantage was processing speed, with payments settling in around 80 seconds on average. The use of a shared ledger provided a single record of ownership and payment status. Another benefit was the ability to perform simultaneous currency clearing, allowing banks to exchange currencies instantly without waiting for separate settlement on each side of the transaction. This reduces risks, lowers costs, and increases transparency. The project operates alongside existing payment systems and does not replace them.

cryptonews.ru07/31 06:50

Major Banks Implement Tokenization in Cross-Border Transfers

cryptonews.ru07/31 06:50

Russian Cryptocurrency Market Valued at Tens of Billions of Rubles

The Russian cryptocurrency market is entering a clearer regulatory phase, with major banks preparing infrastructure for legal digital asset trading. New regulations are set to begin in September, with full implementation expected by 2027. VTB Bank aims to be among the first licensed operators, developing a comprehensive system for buying, selling, storing, and accounting for crypto assets. The market's daily turnover is already estimated at tens of billions of rubles, presenting a significant opportunity for banks to capture market share and commission income through user-friendly, secure services. Key future infrastructure elements will include blockchain, digital accounting, data protection, automation, and potentially AI. For private investors, crypto represents a volatile asset class where earnings can come from trading, investing, mining, or staking, but success depends on risk management, platform security, and understanding regulatory shifts. Bitcoin is seen as a market benchmark, while Ethereum's value is tied to its smart contract ecosystem. Market valuations remain sensitive to regulation, macroeconomic trends, and technological developments.

cryptonews.ru07/30 13:01

Russian Cryptocurrency Market Valued at Tens of Billions of Rubles

cryptonews.ru07/30 13:01

Ethereum Startup EthSystems Bets on Privacy as Key to Luring Banks to Public Blockchains

EthSystems, a startup spun out of the Ethereum Foundation, posits that privacy, not scalability, is the primary barrier preventing financial institutions from adopting public blockchains. The company builds privacy infrastructure for banks, asset managers, and governments looking to use Ethereum for tokenized assets, stablecoins, and other financial applications. Unlike projects creating new blockchains, EthSystems helps institutions deploy privacy technologies directly on Ethereum, keeping transaction data confidential while settling on the mainnet. Co-founder Mo Jaleel explains that financial institutions require control over who sees transaction data, not necessarily anonymity. While competitors like Canton Network and protocols like Aztec also work on private transactions for enterprises, EthSystems differentiates itself by advising on architecture, building custom infrastructure, and publishing open-source research. It aims to collaborate with existing privacy projects rather than rebuild the entire stack. The decision to become a commercial entity stemmed from institutional demand for production-ready solutions, which the team couldn't fulfill within the non-profit Ethereum Foundation. According to Jaleel, operating as a business facilitates funding and participation in large institutions' procurement processes. He notes a shift in client conversations from experimental innovation teams to core business units now seeking to place real assets and financial flows on-chain. EthSystems argues that the key to bridging public blockchains and institutional needs lies in cryptography and privacy.

cryptonews.ru07/29 10:13

Ethereum Startup EthSystems Bets on Privacy as Key to Luring Banks to Public Blockchains

cryptonews.ru07/29 10:13

Ten European Banks Unite in RL1 Blockchain Association

Ten major European financial institutions, including ABN AMRO, Crédit Mutuel, DekaBank, and Standard Chartered's SC Ventures, have launched the Regulated Layer One (RL1) blockchain association. Registered as a European Cooperative Society in Luxembourg, RL1 aims to build a unified, permissioned blockchain infrastructure for regulated markets and tokenized assets like digital money, bonds, and securities lending. The network is based on technology from the German fintech SWIAT, which has processed over €700 million in transactions. Governance is shared equally among members. Former SWIAT managing director Henning Vollbehr will lead RL1, with talks underway for other institutions like NatWest to join. The initiative seeks to reduce market fragmentation caused by disparate distributed ledgers. However, the current transaction volume on the underlying SWIAT platform—just over 50 deals in three years—highlights the significant technical challenge of scaling the network to handle real interbank trading volumes.

cryptonews.ru07/29 09:36

Ten European Banks Unite in RL1 Blockchain Association