Overview
- On its Q4 earnings call, CEO Sergio Ermotti said UBS is building core digital-asset infrastructure and evaluating targeted offerings, including bitcoin access for individual clients and tokenized deposit solutions for corporates.
- He said UBS will not be a first mover, outlining a fast follower strategy with expansion expected over the next three to five years alongside the bank’s traditional business.
- Recent media reported plans to open crypto investing to select Swiss wealth clients through third-party partners, but today’s remarks did not announce a launch.
- UBS has so far concentrated on blockchain uses such as tokenized funds and payments, a posture consistent with banks’ slower pace under Basel III capital requirements.
- European peers are advancing regulated crypto options, including DZ Bank’s MiCAR-approved platform, Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe’s 2026 retail trading plan with DekaBank, and ING Deutschland’s crypto-linked ETNs.