JPMorgan is exploring institutional crypto trading services, including spot and derivatives offerings, reflecting Wall Street’s growing embrace of digital assets amid improved regulatory clarity under the Trump administration.
JPMorgan Chase is reportedly considering crypto trading services for institutional clients. According to Bloomberg and a source familiar with the plans, the largest U.S. bank is evaluating products such as spot and derivatives trading to expand its presence in the crypto market.
This move marks a significant shift for JPMorgan, which has steadily expanded its blockchain activities despite CEO Jamie Dimon’s longstanding criticism of Bitcoin. Although still in early stages and contingent on client demand, the development highlights growing institutional adoption within traditional finance, driven by clearer regulations and a maturing market infrastructure.
JPMorgan’s Expanding Blockchain Strategy Takes Shape
JPMorgan’s markets division is assessing potential crypto products and services for institutional clients, Bloomberg reports. The evaluation covers both spot trading and derivatives offerings, but concrete plans remain tentative and will depend on strong client demand for these products.
The bank declined to comment on the report, which Reuters could not independently verify.
Despite CEO Jamie Dimon’s public skepticism—he has called Bitcoin a “hyped-up fraud” and likened it to “pet rocks”—JPMorgan has remained active in blockchain infrastructure.
In May, Dimon told investors that JPMorgan would allow clients to buy Bitcoin but emphasized, “We’re not going to custody it.”
Earlier this month, JPMorgan arranged a short-term bond for Galaxy Digital on the Solana blockchain, showcasing its growing blockchain capabilities.
Additionally, in December, the bank launched its first tokenized money-market fund, the MONY fund, on Ethereum, with $100 million in initial capital via its Kinexys Digital Assets platform. The fund is available to qualified investors with a minimum of $5 million in investable assets and accepts subscriptions in cash or USDC stablecoin.
Wall Street’s Broader Embrace of Digital Assets
JPMorgan’s potential crypto trading launch follows Morgan Stanley’s recent announcement to offer crypto trading on its E*Trade platform starting in the first half of 2026, through a partnership with Zerohash.
Charles Schwab CEO Rick Wurster also revealed that the $11.6 trillion firm will begin offering Bitcoin trading in early 2026, highlighting that 20% of Schwab clients already own crypto.
“We have lots of clients who hold the majority of their assets at Schwab but keep some with digitally native firms and are asking us to launch this so they can consolidate their crypto assets with us,” Wurster said in a CNBC interview.
These moves reflect growing institutional demand as regulatory frameworks become clearer under President Donald Trump, who has pledged to make the U.S. the “crypto capital of the world.”
In September, veteran Wall Street strategist Jordi Visser predicted that U.S. financial institutions would increase their Bitcoin exposure before the end of 2025 — a forecast now close to reality. “Between now and the end of the year, traditional finance is set to increase its Bitcoin allocations,” Visser told Anthony Pompliano, noting that established players are preparing for 2026 with larger Bitcoin positions.
Market Headwinds Test Bitcoin’s Institutional Appeal
Despite rising interest from Wall Street, Bitcoin faces challenging market conditions, trading range-bound below key recovery levels.
Ray Youssef, CEO of crypto super app NoOnes, told Cryptonews that Bitcoin has struggled to fulfill its hedge narrative in 2025, showing increased sensitivity to macroeconomic factors rather than behaving like digital gold.
“BTC’s upside now depends on liquidity, policy clarity, and risk sentiment, not just monetary debasement,” Youssef said.
Bitcoin remains range-bound between $85,000 support and $93,000 resistance.
U.S. spot Bitcoin ETF holdings fell less than 5% despite a 30% price drop, showing institutions are holding steady.
“Selling pressure is mainly retail-driven,” Youssef added.
JPMorgan analysts forecast Bitcoin could hit $170,000 within 6 to 12 months as futures deleveraging finishes.
The global crypto market is worth about $3.1 trillion, with Bitcoin at $1.8 trillion, and adoption is expected to push new all-time highs next year.
Sources: Yahoo Finance
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