Bank of America has started allowing its wealth advisers to recommend cryptocurrency allocations to clients, marking a clear shift in how the bank treats digital assets in mainstream portfolios. The change widens access to crypto exposure across its vast wealth management network and signals rising institutional comfort with regulated crypto products.
What Bank of America Changed
Bank of America will permit its wealth management advisers to recommend cryptocurrency exchange-traded products in client portfolios starting January 5, 2026. The move removes previous asset thresholds that limited crypto access to only the wealthiest clients and turns crypto from a client-initiated request into an adviser-led discussion.
Advisers can now suggest allocations of roughly 1% to 4% of a client’s portfolio to digital assets, primarily through spot bitcoin ETFs and other regulated vehicles.
Coverage will include several leading bitcoin funds from issuers such as BlackRock, Fidelity, Bitwise, and Grayscale, bringing structured research and model guidance to the asset class.
Why the Policy Shift Matters
The new stance reflects persistent demand from clients who want crypto integrated into formal wealth planning rather than treated as a separate speculative bet.
It also aligns Bank of America with peers such as Morgan Stanley and other large managers that have begun to endorse limited crypto exposure within diversified portfolios.
Executives frame the 1% to 4% range as a way to balance potential upside from digital assets with their high volatility, reserving higher allocations for investors with stronger risk appetite and interest in thematic innovation.
By routing exposure through regulated ETFs, the bank keeps clients within existing compliance, custody, and reporting channels instead of pushing them toward external trading platforms.
What this Means for Wealth Clients and the Crypto Market
For wealth clients, the change means crypto can now be included in regular portfolio reviews, risk assessments, and tax planning rather than on the sidelines.
Advisers gain formal tools and research coverage to discuss position sizing, rebalancing, and downside scenarios, rather than responding informally to ad hoc questions.
At the market level, even modest percentage allocations can translate into meaningful flows when applied across more than 15,000 advisers and millions of customers. The decision strengthens the perception of Bitcoin and other digital assets as investable components of traditional portfolios, rather than fringe instruments outside the regulated financial system.
READ MORE: Solana Price Prediction: Can it Hit $200 as SOL Meme Coins Jump?
