web3: UBS increases spot bitcoin ETF holdings to 90 million dollars

UBS has disclosed that its spot Bitcoin ETF holdings have increased to approximately 90 million USD, a 230% rise from previous levels. The largest Swiss bank has also expanded the coverage of related products for wealth management clients, demonstrating that traditional financial institutions are continuing to advance in crypto asset allocation and services.

Holdings rise to 2.5 million shares

According to the disclosure, UBS Group raised its holdings in BlackRock’s iShares Bitcoin Trust (IBIT) to around 2.5 million shares, corresponding to a market value of about 90 million USD. When the bank first allocated to a Bitcoin ETF at the beginning of 2024, it held only 3,600 shares, valued at less than 150,000 USD.

A UBS spokesperson stated that the bank recognizes the role of blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies in digital assets. Based on this change in holdings, UBS has clearly increased its exposure to spot Bitcoin ETFs.

Wealth management business advances in parallel

In addition to its own holdings, UBS is also opening up IBIT and similar products to its wealth management clients. This means the bank is both increasing related allocations on its own balance sheet and promoting product distribution and trading services for clients.

Sources this week revealed that UBS is evaluating providing cryptocurrency trading for private banking clients in Switzerland. Initially, Bitcoin and Ethereum trading may be made available, with possible expansion to Asia-Pacific and US markets in the future. However, the specific implementation plan has not yet been finalized.

Institutional holdings continue to expand

Despite overall pressure on the crypto market over the past year, institutional participation in Bitcoin ETFs remains at a high level. According to the report, in the first quarter of 2026 there were a total of 1,560 institutions holding IBIT, with combined holdings exceeding 27 billion USD.

Since the US approved spot cryptocurrency ETFs in January 2024, the scale of these products has grown rapidly. At present, assets under management in US crypto ETFs are approaching 140 billion USD, with BlackRock’s IBIT remaining one of the main products.

The report also noted that some hedge funds reduced their Bitcoin ETF exposure in the first quarter of 2026, but banks overall continue to increase holdings. According to the figures in the article, Bitcoin was last quoted at 63,433 USD, representing a decline of more than 40% over the past year.