Bank of America has taken a notable step toward deeper crypto integration by allowing its wealth advisers to recommend crypto allocations to clients, marking a shift in how one of America’s largest financial institutions approaches digital assets.
Under the new guidance, advisers across Bank of America’s wealth platforms ,including Merrill and the private bank , can now proactively discuss and recommend limited crypto exposure as part of broader portfolio strategies. Previously, crypto conversations were largely client-initiated and handled with significant restrictions.
That boundary has now moved.The change does not signal a full embrace of speculative crypto trading. Instead, it reflects a measured, institutional approach. Advisers are expected to focus on regulated products, particularly spot Bitcoin exchange-traded funds (ETFs), rather than direct token custody. Reported allocation ranges are conservative, typically between one and four percent of a client’s portfolio, depending on risk tolerance and investment objectives.
This move follows months of growing institutional comfort with crypto, especially after the approval and strong inflows into U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs. For banks like Bank of America, these products offer a familiar structure: regulated, transparent, and aligned with existing compliance frameworks. They make it easier to discuss crypto not as a fringe asset, but as a small, strategic component of diversified portfolios.
The timing also matters. Regulatory clarity in the U.S. has improved, particularly around how crypto exposure can be offered through established financial products. That clarity has reduced the legal and reputational risks that previously made large banks hesitant to engage beyond research or limited custody discussions.
For clients, this shift changes the dynamic. Crypto is no longer something they must raise on their own or pursue outside their primary financial adviser relationship.
Instead, it becomes part of a guided conversation ,framed around risk management, portfolio construction, and long-term planning, rather than speculation or short-term price movements.
For the broader crypto market, Bank of America’s decision carries symbolic weight. When a bank of this size allows advisers to recommend crypto exposure, even in small amounts, it reinforces the idea that digital assets are gradually being absorbed into traditional finance, not replacing it, but sitting alongside it.
This is not a sudden endorsement, and it is not a signal that crypto risk has disappeared. It is, however, a sign of maturity. Institutions move slowly, and when they move, it is usually after rules, structures, and demand align.Bank of America’s update reflects that alignment.
Crypto, at least in its regulated form, is no longer being treated solely as an exception. It is increasingly being treated as an option ,cautiously, deliberately, and within limits.
