UniCredit Weighs Crypto Custody, Brokerage; Seeks Tech Partner

UniCredit is weighing crypto custody and brokerage services and is on the hunt for a technology provider to build the underlying infrastructure, according to a September 11, 2026 Bloomberg report citing people familiar with the matter. The plans are early-stage, and no launch date or selected vendor has been confirmed.

UniCredit weighs crypto custody and brokerage

Italy’s UniCredit is considering an expansion into digital assets through custody and brokerage offerings, Bloomberg reported. The report, by Anna Irrera and Sonia Sirletti, was published on September 11, 2026 at 7:15 AM UTC. For related coverage, see US House Panel Sets Sept. 16 Crypto Tax Rules Markup.

Crypto services under consideration

The plans describe infrastructure for holding digital assets and for facilitating buying and selling on behalf of clients. Bloomberg attributed the account to people familiar with the plans who requested anonymity because they were discussing private information. For related coverage, see New United kingdom crypto rules set to be announced in coming weeks | News 28 Mar 2022 | Crypto News.

Neither service is approved, launched, or available to customers. The reporting frames both custody and brokerage as under consideration, not as committed products.

UniCredit seeks a technology provider

Technology-provider search

UniCredit is running a selection process for a technology provider to build the systems needed to hold digital assets and to facilitate trading, per Bloomberg. The search is one input into the plans, not a finished appointment.

No vendor has been named, and no agreement or signed partnership has been confirmed. Selecting a provider is only one step toward becoming operational. Under EU rules, a credit institution that outsources operational functions remains fully responsible for its obligations, per MiCA Article 73(1).

MiCA also sets a formal on-ramp for banks: Article 60(1) permits a credit institution to provide crypto-asset services after notifying the required information to its home competent authority at least 40 working days before first providing them. No UniCredit notification or regulatory clearance has been established.

MiCA: minimum advance notification for banks

40 working days

MiCA’s scope has limits worth noting. Article 2(4)(a) excludes crypto-assets that qualify as financial instruments, so tokenized securities would not automatically fall under the regime. The regulation’s transitional regime for existing crypto-asset service providers runs to a latest endpoint of 1 July 2026 under Article 143(3), subject to earlier national endpoints.

UniCredit has previously touched the asset class from the product side, having linked an investment certificate to a Bitcoin trust. A custody-and-brokerage build would move the bank closer to the kind of cryptocurrency brokerage functions operated by dedicated crypto firms.

What remains unknown about UniCredit’s crypto plans

Timing and service scope

The available reporting does not establish a launch timetable, target customer group, supported assets, geographic scope, or pricing. There is also no official UniCredit announcement or on-record confirmation; Bloomberg’s account rests on unnamed sources.

According to unconfirmed reports repeated by secondary outlets, tokenized investment products, fixed-income securities, and client stablecoin applications may also be under consideration, with no final decision made. Those additional details were not visible in the accessible Bloomberg excerpt and should be treated with caution.

The absence of these specifics reflects the limits of the current reporting rather than proof that UniCredit has made no disclosures. Similar regulatory questions are playing out across markets, from product-approval requests in the US to evolving UK crypto rules. Watch for any formal MiCA notification or a named technology partner as the next concrete signals.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice. Cryptocurrency and digital asset markets carry significant risk. Always do your own research before making decisions.