Why Did Intesa Sanpaolo Increase Its Crypto Exposure?

Intesa Sanpaolo more than doubled its crypto exposure in the first quarter of 2026, raising its holdings from about $100 million at the end of 2025 to roughly $235 million as of March 31, according to a report by local crypto outlet Criptovaluta.it.

The increase shows Italy’s largest bank taking a broader approach to digital assets after initially building exposure through bitcoin-linked products. The growth was led by larger bitcoin allocations, with Intesa adding to holdings in both the ARK 21Shares BTC ETF and BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust ETF.

The bank also entered Ethereum for the first time through BlackRock’s iShares Staked Ethereum Trust. It added exposure to…